Dear Barb:
I went to our company Christmas party last week and I haven’t been back to work since. I drank too much and really screwed up. A co-worker and I ended up dancing and flirting all night. We were one of the last to leave the party and, since we live near each other, decided to share a cab home. Unfortunately, we ended up at a motel and you can guess what happened. I left early in the morning before he got up and haven’t spoke to him, or anyone from work, since. I really feel like a piece of crap for this mess up and I don’t know what to do now. If I could afford to I would quit my job and put this all behind me, but unfortunately that is not an option for me. I know I will lose my job if I don’t do something soon. Do you have any suggestions on how I should deal with this situation? Oh, I forgot to mention my co-worker is married. Embarrassed Emma!
Hey Emma:
Oops, you messed up! But you’re not the first one to do so. You begin by taking responsibility for what you did. It’s going to be difficult to face your co-worker. You might want to call or text him to see how he is feeling. There is also his wife to consider and whether she knows. Your co-workers would only be aware of the flirting, unless someone told them what happened afterwards. There are a lot of unknowns. If your co-worker has been to work, he can provide you with a heads up on what you may be dealing with, but if he hasn’t gone in, you will have to take the first step and face the music. Depending on how things develop, and if people are ready to let this go, you may end up moving on to another job. In any event this is a very important life lesson for you. Good luck in the future Emma.
Dear Barb:
I was walking my dog, which is a Doberman, in a nearby park. I often take my dog there and let her off leash. She is a very calm, gentle dog, and has never been aggressive. One Sunday while walking I could see in the distance a couple of people walking two small dogs, also off leash. I wasn’t concerned as I knew Lucy was gentle towards other dogs, however one of the other dogs came charging toward Lucy. Of course, Lucy responded with in an angry attack mode towards the little dog, but I don’t believe she actually bit it. When the little dog started yelping I called Lucy off, but by this time the owners were yelling at me. They were claiming that I didn’t have control over my dog and that their dog was only 10 pounds while mine was 70 pounds. I don’t believe it makes any difference, if another dog attacks my dog, that dog is at fault. This ended up with a lot of screaming and hollering between me and the other owners. Who do you think was at fault in this situation? Jeremy.
Hey Jeremy:
I think you were both at fault, if an owner is going to let their dogs off leash they need to have that dog under control. Your dog may not have done anything like this before, but now you know she is capable of this type of behaviour and therefore she should be kept on leash. Sorry, Jeremy as this may not be the answer that you wanted.
Merry Christmas to all my readers! Looking forward to your questions in the coming year!
Follow Barb on Twitter @BarbGod
Email your questions to voice@voicemagazine.org. Some submissions may be edited for length or to protect confidentiality; your real name and location will never be printed. This column is for entertainment only. The author is not a professional counsellor and this column is not intended to take the place of professional advice.
