I was at work when one of my coworkers was stuck doing a menial task along with our manager, a task usually beneath both of their postitions. My coworker said, "Tell me a story." 
   Being a writer, my ears immediately perked up from where I was nearby doing an only slightly less menial task.
   My manager responded, "There was this guy and his name was Bill."
   My coworker:  "That's it? Where's the conflict? Where are all the other building blocks of a good story?"
   Just then the phone rang right next to me and my manager picked it up and proceeded to have a Most Mysterious Conversation. I pointed this out to my coworker - now, we have a plot to our story- but he told me he knew exactly what the conversation was about. Well there you go, I am a mere peon after all.
   Then he noticed that the material he was working with was exactly his girlfriend's favorite things. I suggested that maybe it belonged to her imaginary twin.
   He eagerly began to ask if this was true, and if she was hot, and that kind of stuff.
   I slyly said, "There you go, our story has turned into an erotic romance." Which is exactly the way my writer's brain thinks these days.
   My manger broke in to say, "Coworker, remember the sexual harassment video."
   My coworker said, "I was told that was a harassment video, not just sexual. And besides, I don' t think imaginary people can be sexually harassed."
   Ooops. I tried to change the story to a male fraternal twin, but my coworker apparently (at least fictionally) was willing to swing both ways like many an erotic romance hero, so I changed the subject entirely.
   So, did either of us commit sexual harassment? Should my manager have cautioned me too?

Disclaimer:  Many facts have been changed in this mostly fictional story. Also, I'm all for sexual harassment training in general. My young career was affected by sexual harassment, and I know it still goes on blatantly in some offices. A good manager does stay viligant.

 

What did you think of this article?

Liked
Disliked
No Opinion