Honored with employee of the month, I think it's never enough...

Saturday, at work, the afternoon was a bit slow, so I went to a fellow employee's office, intending to just hang out there for about 15 minutes, just to get out of MY office for a bit.

I went in and sat down. And we chatted, bitching about work, and co-workers, you know, office stuff.

And then, out of nowhere, he starts talking about his marriage. I have never met his wife, I wouldn't know her if I fell over her, I don't even know her name. And to my recollection, he never mentioned her to me before. But then he did.

For the last two years, she's been going out like every weekend "with the girls" and coming home at all hours. And they fought about it all the time. only now, he's given up. he just doesn't care anymore. About two months ago, she said she was looking for an apartment, he told her he'd help her pack when she found one. He wants counseling, she says she doesn't need it. He'd leave, except there's two kids, both of which he's overheard talking to friends and bathmouthing their mom. he told them not to do that. At any rate, he doesn't want to leave and disrupt the kids with all that. And he went on.

I sat there gaping. I was uncomfortable with him telling me all this. I mean, we're co-workers, we work well together, he's nice guy I try to help him with projects, if I can, cause he's helped me before. But we were never this...intimate in our conversation. It was a bit awkward to me. But there he was, pouring his heart out, so I figured, okay, it must be helping him, he's not uncomfortable or awkward telling me about it.

I offered support where I could, but frankly, i was kinda lost. See, I'm used to giving advice, it's kinda what I do in my job, so when someone complains about something, I try to find a solution. But this time, I didn't really know what to say. So I just let him unload. When i thought about it later, I thought it was something of an honor, I guess, to be the one he trusted with the info, cause to my knowledge, he hasn't told anyone else about this (we have a pretty thick gossip grapevine around work).

It is a shame, cause he really is a nice guy. But hey, what can i do other than listen and be supportive?

POLT

That's not underwear, it's hideous! That's birth control! - Carson, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy