Bob

The name has been changed to protect the innocent.... LOL

When I first started my job a quarter century ago I was the only female.  I was a young female fresh off the farm going to work in a male dominated industry.  The two things I had going for me were determination and drive.  That's it.  How I landed the job I have is a question for the universe.  Somebody thought I had potential and a few functioning brain cells, and others bought into the theory.  Whatever.

You can imagine the remarks I heard as a young woman working with a bunch of age 40+ guys.  Bob was one who would lob out remarks.  One day during a meeting of the board of directors, Bob went one step too far.  He lobbed out a comment that just pissed me off to the core.  I had it.  I lunged across the conference room table, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck,  and got in his face - in front of everybody - and went off on him.  When I realized what I had done, I was ready to tender my resignation and slink away tail between legs. 

Much to my surprise I almost got a standing ovation from the rest of the board.  From that day forward, Bob and I have been buddies ever since.  We now have a mutual respect for each other. Today our conversations often end with my saying "fuck-off, asshole" but it is a term of endearment.  After many, MANY situations where we had to work together through some really tough stuff, we got to a place of raw honesty and humor.  Yesterday Bob told me that he would do ANYTHING for me.  Is he full of shit???  Perhaps.  It's the meaningless words that count, you know. 


Anyway....  after developing a working relationship with somebody I wanted to kill for many years is an accomplishment I'm rather proud of.  I guess that's the point.  An enemy became a friend.  Now that time is marching forward and age will claim us, I loathe the last telephone conversation where Bob goes off on one of his ridiculous business schemes..... I half giggle...and tell him "fuck-off, asshole."