Thursday, March 27, 2008

Tolerance

Ok. I've got something that's been bugging me for almost a day now.
I need to give a little background that I haven't shared, because it was work related and not really much of my business. Other than the fact that it affected one of my friends here at the office. It's the reason that Al was "forced" into retiring a year or so earlier than he planned. There was a woman working in the department after I moved to training. Well, apparently she took Al's personality personally and was claiming harassment. Anyone who actually knows Al, knows he's harmless. He loves life and is a happy-go-lucky kind of person.
Anyhow, this person recently left the company, and I'm back in my old cube because she's no longer here. Someone at lunch yesterday asked me if I knew anything about the why's and how's of her leaving. I have no clue. I was sitting upstairs at the time and unless someone actually tells me, I have no idea what goes on in other parts of the building. I made the comment to the two ladies who were sitting in the lunchroom that I didn't know what happened to the other person and that my first response upon knowing she'd left was wanting Al back.
Well, the one who didn't ask me if I knew what had happened started going off about how inappropriate he is and how obnoxious he is.
I just stood there and shook my head for a moment and then extricated myself from the room. Like I said, Al has been known to say some things that aren't exactly "sensitive" and could would say things just to get a reaction out of certain people in the building, but only in fun. He never meant any harm by it, was never that "scary old guy". Occasionally he fell into that category of harmless "dirty old man", but never anything harmful. My reaction to her was; but he's a very good worker. And it's true. He's never treated the customers anything other than well. If he's made a mistake, he'll fix it. He gets his job done, and usually done right. He's friendly and willing to help just about anyone. So what if he occasionally makes an obnoxious statement? If you knew him, you knew he didn't really believe a lot of it. A lot of it came from being in the Army or a cop for many, many years. (And besides, he is an equal opportunity offender, he'll pick on just about any group out there...)
Her reaction still bothers me. What in the world ever happened to tolerance? What ever happened to being able to enjoy people for who they are? I guess I should have expected that kind of reaction from her, she's a bit of a sour person to begin with and a lawyer type to boot. As you've seen, I try and stay out of politics and social commentary. I just had to get this off my chest though. I mean, I don't want to get rid of people just because they're cranky all the time, or they don't agree with my political/religious/social views. I try and see their side and only feel the need to "do something" about it if they're a potential danger to myself, themselves or others. If that makes me a tree-hugging, hippy, peace loving liberal, than so be it. (I've been called worse.) I try and keep a fairly moderate and somewhat realistic view on the world, but I really am an optimist at heart.
Anyhow, I'd best get back to work. I just needed to get that gripe off my chest. I still wish that Al was back. He brought a lot of life to this office and did a lot of work.
Peace to all and may we accept people for who they are, as they are and remember that life is too serious to take seriously.

p.s. Sorry if this rambled a bit, but that's how it sat in my brain...

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