#3

Another coworker story...

There is a young man who I work with who is pretty much the bane of my existence while there. He likes to make up songs as he goes along, and they're always about me. Every time he walks past me he taps me repeatedly along the back. He generally just makes a nuisance out of himself. And, because it made me visibly upset, he did it more. So, after a conference with Mom and Dad, I came up with a strategy.

Yesterday, I decided to ignore him. Totally and completely. When he first came in and said, "hello," I gave a very polite but minimal response and walked away. Then the antics began. But I didn't react at all. I just kept polishing my silverware. Eventually, he got tired of making fart noises with his mouth and he also focused on his job. The rest of the shift was more pleasant than previous ones. He continued to sing, and I continued to ignore him.

After all of the residents had left the dining room and we started doing our side-jobs, he started up again. The rap song revolving around me was aggravating, but I just swept the floor around him with a scowl. Now, for anyone who knows me really well, you know how big a feat this is for me. I smile rather incessantly, especially when I'm nervous or uncomfortable. But I kept a straight face. After about 3 minutes he stopped singing and looked at me seriously for the first time in his life. He asked me if I was mad. I told him that I wasn't mad, but that I was ignoring him. He asked me why, and I told him that he didn't need to be listened to. And again, I walked away.

Then, of all of the bizarre things, he started being nice to me. The songs and the poking stopped. He became very helpful and very courteous. Well, at least, very helpful and courteous compared to his normal behavior. The only problem was, all of my other coworkers noticed the change and began to think that something else was going on. Then, in confirmation of their suspicions, he asked me to go party with him. I told him "no," and that made him slightly mad. Then I told him that I was Catholic and was going to Mass in the morning, so I had to get home early. His response: oh, you're one of those? hmph

We'll see what tonight holds in store for me