The DanceHenri Matisse
1910
This will be me -- all week -- doing the dance of joy. The Black Widow Spider is retiring, she will be gone. Gone, baby gone...! Few things in life have filled me with as much joy as the thought of our workplace losing the destructive, poisonous, malicious influence of the Black Widow Spider. We will finally be free of her and her and her venom. This
"What will this place do without me?"
Well, I'll tell you what we'll do. We will finally move into the 21st Century, and stop doing things they way they were done in 1975. We will move forward in a progressive way. Folks will be able to bring forward new ideas without being told those ideas can never work.
"Nope...! This is the way we've always done it, and that can't be done."
But more importantly, our colleagues will be able to work in an environment free from false accusations, lies, innuendo and gossip. People will continue to come to work, do a good job, and stop being afraid. The skies will clear, the sun will shine and birds will sing.
Well, okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but the atmosphere will feel less gloomy.
The Crying SpiderOdilon Redon
1881
I think some people come into this world with an air of negativity. They see the cup as half empty, never half full. They lack any feeling of joy or humor. Gloom and pessimism hang off their shoulders, and trail behind them like oily, black droplets. The very air surrounding them is dank and dreary. The Black Widow Spider is one of those people. She always wears black clothing, she is always angry, and she always looks as if no light whatsoever emanates from her soul -- if indeed she has one.
Would it be safe to say I dislike this person? Yes. Intensely. It would also be safe to say I believe she has killed several of her staff members due to stress over the years. There has been a high incidence of cancer and heart disease amongst the young women -- and men -- who have worked with her. Several others have taken long-term disability stress leave.
Would it also be safe to say I am happy she is finally leaving? Oh, yes... Will I be going to her retirement party? Maybe ... we'll see.
Let the dancing begin...!
30 comments:
It would be a powerful statement if NOBODY went to her retirement party. It would either give her a much-needed life lesson, or more likely, she would interpret it that everyone was so broken up at the prospect of losing her that they were all bedridden with grief.
I'm really happy for you. I have worked with some black widow spiders and I absolutely believe they cause dire illnesses in those who are subjected to their abuse.
Rock on, dudette!
Woo Hoo!!!!
OH Happy Day!
I can feel your joy, it's like the day my dreaded neighbor moved to Kansas.
Man... that was a good day.
Sorry Kansas.
Well Jo, you can go to the retirement party and start the proceedings by declaring, in a loud and positive way:
"I think I speak for all of us when I say that this place will never feel the same without you. And I'm so happy to be able to say that with all my heart."
I think you should go to the party and proclaim loud and clear how happy you are to see her go. LOL
Change can be a good thing and some loss is our gain...
Glad for the respite
Linda
Maybe you can have your own celebratory party of her leaving . . . burn her effigy, so to speak.
It is amazing how negativity is so insidious & pervasive & how it colors & clouds all that is around it. And it feels like fighting a cloud - nothing to actually punch!
I was fortunate enough to only have brief contact with someone like this, but she poisoned the very atmosphere of our office. (I bought several copies of Nasty People: How to Stop Being Hurt By Them Without Becoming One of Them & passed them out to hose of us who needed it. I see the book is still available at Amazon.)
Hope things really do look up from here, Jo, for you & the office.
Oh, I've met some of those types! They really do have a way of sapping the joy right out of life! I say everybody has a separate party to celebrate her being gone.
Ring-a-ring-a-roses in the mids of winter is for sure one of the best things I read for a long time.
Happy for you,I'd like to wish you a wonderful week.
Hurray, the wicked spider is gone, the wicked spider is gone. Soon anyway!
Oh, happy days are here again for you Jo! (Maybe she was also one of those "vampires" that walk among us?)
Sounds great! It's as if the carol song....I feel your joy too...
I suppose you will be dancing to the song "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead"?
Can't help but think of the Jabberwocky, perhaps as well as being a spider, she was one of these as well . . .
*****************
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
********************
And may you also chortle in your joy, Jo !
Jo, I'm oh so happy for you! There's nothing worse than having to spend your working day with relentless negative energy.
I also agree with Philip H - it's called rising above!
I had a blackwidow spider where I worked, too. We believed she was actually hurting her teenager to draw attention to herself, munchausen by proxy is the mental disorder. We tried to think of ways to approach the police to let them know what we were concerned about. As a former nurse who handled the medication and monitored her son's diabetes, it was easy to manipulate his condition. I know, diabetes can be tricky, but we always knew when her son would be in the hospital and it always coincided with her attention seeking episodes at work and in life.
Black widows...and widowers.
Too bad that one unpleasant person can poison the workplace for so many....Hope things cheer up around your office from here on!
Yipeeee! I know how you feel, Jo! I've worked for a few black widows, myself. I'm so happy for you and your colleagues Cheers!
I changed my job location to get away from a poisonous co-worker. It was the best thing I ever did for my own mental health. I celebrate with you and your entire staff.
Oh wow, it will be like a whole new job for you! Good bye to bad rubbish eh? (or something like that)!
I think after the official retirement party, you and a few of your co-workers should have a real celebration!
I can see you have put some thought into this! Phillip has the best toast, which should be repeated with increasing enthusiasm as the afternoon wears on.
From the looks of all these comments, it appears other people have had their own Black Widow Spiders to contend with!
But I agree with Kathryn -- you can have your OWN party to celebrate this monumental event! Perhaps there are some other people you work with who would prefer to join you at your "Good Riddens!" party while others are at the retirement party.
I knew a lawyer once who always wore black -- always, from head to toe. One day she never came to work and it was discovered she had literally crashed and burned, as they say.
The rumor around the courthouse was that a little girl from Kansas had poured water over her and she melted!!
Such if life.
I had exactly the same initial thought as Hearts...nothing like sending an honest and forthright message as a good bye gift.
Happy for all the people at your work that she's leaving.. but I am amazed about is why she wasn't fired long time ago if she was such a downer.
Congratulations on getting rid of the Black Widow Spider and getting in some fresh air. I've met a few "psychic vampires" in my time, but none as seriously creepy as her. Brrr.
I would not go to her retirement party. Although, it might be fun to really celebrate her going!
Oh Jo, this is precious. I love it and I know exactly how you feel. Of course you must attend her farewell... to party, party, party. You are right, "Let the dancing begin".
Hearts, unfortunately, everyone is going to her party -- except me...! :-)
The Bug, *heh, heh*
Jennifer, your neighbor moved to Kansas? yay!
Philip, I LOVE it...! Thank you. :-)
Kenju, I just might do that. :-)
Linda, oh yes, respite...! :-)
Kathryn, that sounds like a fabulous book. Thanks for the heads up. I'm going to buy it.
Houndstoott, what a fabulous idea! I just might do it. *heh*
Robert, thank you! A wonderful week to you too. :-)
Charles, *stomp, stomp* Heh
Paula, she was one of the shape-shifters; the werewolves. :-)
Nomore, thank you, thank you!
LGS, LOL, I have had that song going through my head all week...! :-)
Owen, *chortle, chortle...* I love that poem, by the way. :-)
Amy, oh, yes, the air is heavy with negativity at the moment. *sigh*
Stewart, wow! That is interesting. It sounds as if your co-worker had some serious psychological problems. One never knows, hey?
Molly, I am going to be in a good mood all week...! *heh*
Marguerite, thank you. On Friday, I will be celebrating! :-)
Carol, a lot of people have left here because of her too. Sometimes it's what we need to do to survive. :-)
John, oh, yes, we have already planned our celebration. *heh*
VioletSky, that's what I'm afraid of -- and that's why I have decided I should probably not attend. *heh*
Russell, "The rumor around the courthouse was that a little girl from Kansas had poured water over her and she melted!!" Oh -- if only....!!!!!!! *heh*
Mark, oh, yes. Unfortunately, I can be a little too "forthright and honest" sometimes. *heh*
MissOverThink, that is the $64,000 question. How do people like that last so long???
Mary Anne, I love that -- "Psychic vampires". That describes her just PERFECTLY!!!
Anna, oh, yes, the dance of joy! I will have my own party...! *heh*
Looks like you recieved an early Christmas present and a Happy New Year.
Brenda, oh, yessssssss! :-)
So happy for you Jo - now you can dance, breathe, be yourself and not constrained at your job!
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