Exiting WalMart: Short-timer's Syndrome

I have a dear friend from college who has mentioned that her husband does not always work well with others and should wear the tee-shirt. You might know the one: “Does Not Play Well with Others.” Well, I called her tonight and told her to be sure and send me one too.

I have worked the past two weeks with someone I have come to intensely dislike more than anyone in recent memory. This young girl is not only bossy, but she is a boss-suck-up extraordinaire. Any way you have of doing something she feels it important to make comment on, usually negative, and is constantly nagging our supervisor asking for advice of how or what should be done. Like she can’t possibly figure out how to do it on her own and then feels compelled to tell the rest of us how we should then do it when it’s really none of her business. I figure if the boss doesn’t like the way I am working THEY can tell me; not some other workmate who knows less than me to begin with.

Finally at the end of the day today, my best work partner and I were in the back room working with this girl when she started REALLY mouthing off as usual. Ok, I admit, short-timers syndrome is probably a nasty thing for a person like me, who has a hard time holding her tongue anyway; and in this case it was devastating. I had had enough and lit into her. She obviously didn’t get “it” and said she wasn’t going to work with us anymore as she left in a huff with: “I’m going to go tell MJ” (our supervisor). So my parting repartee was “I don’t give a shit what you do.” as she stormed out.

Well, I have to admit; upon seeing MJ later she did not mention a word to me. Upon leaving this evening I stopped to say a special thank you to another supervisor whom I really enjoyed working under and mentioned that she might need to give me an especially good recommendation because I probably wasn’t going to get a good one from MJ. She asked why and when I explained she said MJ was probably secretly thankful. Apparently the girl’s been getting on everyone’s nerves but has them all walking on eggshells—you know how it is now with all the politically correct stuff everyone seems to have to deal with. And of course, it is against WalMart policy to have personal altercations or use swear words with anyone. Oh my. I think I’ve broken their rules.

One more day. I don’t expect for things to be better tomorrow with the exception that I will really have short-timers syndrome! Who knows what might come out of my mouth? I wish I had that tee-shirt already; I’d wear it as a warning. (grin)