Me as seen by them

Remember the guy who got arrested in a disused metro station in a full wetsuit? That and a bunch of other wacky stories were tossed at us during a dinner this week. They were meant as an ice breaker for a colleague’s leaving do, even if there was no ice anywhere near our group. Lots of laughs.

I thought I knew most of the people there pretty well, I have worked with them for years. But in some cases I guessed from the way their story was written, rather than what they had actually done. The Regulatory Affairs guy’s story was longwinded and rich in detail, the sales guy’s ebullient ego dripped through his. And then of course Mr “Friday the 13th” had unlikely stories of bad luck that could only have happened to him – the slapstick kind.

What I found really revealing was what my colleagues thought I had done: more than half the room thought I had been the one to have gone down vomiting during a parachute jump, and when that turned out to be a mistake about as many thought I had overtaken a traffic police car and then been stopped for speeding. As if. I have never done a parachute jump, but I quite fancy trying it. I am certainly not going to vomit; I fully intend to absorb the sensation of freefalling, and then, once drifting, enjoy the view. And speeding? Me? Not past a police car I wouldn’t. I’m not stupid. It does make me wonder exactly what image my colleagues have of me. At work I am often told I come across very reserved, so I had been assuming a bit of a non-entity. While actually they think I am fast and furious! I think. Apart from the vomiting. Not sure what to make of that.

Venting

I have done some fabulous venting this week. If you have never tried venting I must urge you to have a go. I don’t mean the polite and useful kind:

            

 

 

More something like this:

 

Pressure point reached, I unleashed all the pent-up worries and frustration until the magma seas were calm again. And now I am ready for a relaxing weekend.