1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Sam, this is John, and we are 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: the founding hosts of Okay Storytime Podcast. 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 2: And we have some foundational stories coming up for you. 4 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: But the thing is this foundation needs a little support 5 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: from these sponsors. So stick around two minutes and we'll 6 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: get into the episode. 7 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:19,159 Speaker 3: My boss got mad, I let a coworker vent, so 8 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 3: I stopped making work fun. 9 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 4: Don't be that person. 10 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 3: My job performance is exceptional. I meet every necessary mark 11 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 3: one hundred percent of the time, and I've done so 12 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 3: over the last ten years, maybe an odd month or 13 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 3: two in there due to travel and things that would 14 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,879 Speaker 3: make it impossible. I've also stepped up and carried the 15 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 3: load for coworkers when things have come up to ensure 16 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 3: our area isn't dinged for performance issues. Clients get along 17 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 3: well with me. I've never had a complaint filed against me, 18 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 3: et cetera. You get the idea. By the way, this 19 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 3: comes from preference afraid and if you would have spent 20 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 3: your own stories, go to the r slash Okay Storytime 21 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 3: subret it. I'm Sophia, I'm key On, and we're here 22 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 3: to give a good advice goof Ley, but we don't 23 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 3: have all the answers we only know what we'd do, 24 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 3: so let us know what you would do in the comments, 25 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 3: and op says. I also am known to do all 26 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 3: the holiday decorating, coordinating the gifts for office celebrations, baking 27 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 3: the desserts, writing formal thank yous from our department, and 28 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 3: making holiday baskets to help maintain positive relationships with the 29 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 3: other agencies we work with. A couple months back, there 30 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 3: was a policy change and none of us were happy 31 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:22,960 Speaker 3: about it. I made the best of a bad situation 32 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 3: and adapted to the change immediately. My coworkers did as well, 33 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 3: but they all called me to complain and invent. This 34 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 3: is normal. We tend to complain amongst ourselves for one 35 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 3: good which session then just it is what it is 36 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 3: and continue to work hard and not complain. 37 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:39,559 Speaker 5: Again. 38 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 3: Here's where the issue is. While one of my coworkers 39 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 3: was venting, my boss was eavesdropping selectively on my side 40 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 3: of the conversation, as that's what he could hear. I 41 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 3: was commiserating with them, but also pointing out how it 42 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 3: wouldn't be that bad. It's in our contract. How we 43 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 3: can make it fun less obnoxious. We hung up and 44 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 3: I didn't think about it further, especially since neither of 45 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 3: us really said anything that you wouldn't expect an employee 46 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 3: to say with the kind of change they're wanting. It 47 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 3: was pretty dank tame. I didn't think anything about it 48 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,079 Speaker 3: again until my boss called me in a few days 49 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,359 Speaker 3: later to do an employee evaluation in response to it. 50 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 3: In every review I've had here, I've always hit the 51 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 3: exceed expectations in nearly every category. He got me down 52 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 3: to meets expectations on everything. He reamed me for my 53 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 3: attitude for not cutting my coworker off and letting them vent. 54 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 3: You think that OLP would be continue to be liked 55 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 3: in that office if someone gave it to her and 56 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 3: was like, oh, this is so annoying that we have 57 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 3: to do this. 58 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 5: She just went. 59 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 3: She said, Hey, don't talk about boss that I don't 60 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 3: do that. Don't talk about work that way as positive rateful. 61 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 4: If it's not positive, not allow. 62 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 3: No one would like her telling me I should have 63 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 3: told them to call him. Is this man never work 64 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 3: for anyone else? Has he never had a job that 65 00:02:57,680 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 3: he was in the bosses. 66 00:02:58,720 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 4: He never vented? 67 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, you accuse me of being negative, a negative influence, 68 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 3: and that if you didn't nip it in the bud. 69 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 3: Now it could fester and create a toxic work environment. 70 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 3: I was, and still am, pretty pissed about it. Coworkers 71 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 3: should be allowed to vent to each other without it 72 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 3: being treated like this. After this, as you may have guessed, 73 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 3: I'm just not in the mood to add up everything 74 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 3: extra I've been doing to make the office environment fun. 75 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 3: I keep my door closed when he's here. I didn't 76 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 3: bring dessert for the March birthday lunch. That lunch isn't mandatory, 77 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 3: but I didn't want more problems, so I went and 78 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 3: just sat quietly the entire time. Now there's another appreciation 79 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 3: week and month for one of the departments we work with, 80 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 3: and there's been an email chain about cards and gifts, 81 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 3: and I've responded the amount I'll put towards it and 82 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 3: asked who I should send it to. People are noticing 83 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 3: I'm not picking this stuff up, and that chain has 84 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 3: gone in circles for days now, and I'm not budgeting. 85 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 3: I've had one person approach about it and I just 86 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 3: said I don't have the time to take it on 87 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 3: right now. I guess I'm feeling like all the crap 88 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 3: I did on the regular to foster a positive work environment, 89 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 3: got thrown out or was never appreciated because I lent 90 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 3: an ear to a coworker and then got viciously reprimanded 91 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 3: for it. Like, what's the point if ten years of 92 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 3: going out of my way gets thrown out just like that? 93 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 3: Am I the ale for just quietly stepping out of 94 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 3: all these extras? Do to my feelings on how this 95 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,799 Speaker 3: was handled? Am I being overly petty? Canvas shoes? Says? 96 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 3: Not the ale? The boss and as the kids call it, 97 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 3: left around and found out venting is typically a positive 98 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 3: and necessary thing as long as it's handled appropriately. And 99 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 3: it sounds as if you were that appropriate bottleneck and 100 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 3: sounding board. He was extremely stupid to have not allowed 101 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 3: you to explain the situation to him. Stand your ground, 102 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 3: just keep it light, sweet, and my workload is preventing 103 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 3: me from keeping up with those extra tasks. About it all? Hope, 104 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 3: he says, thank you. We did try to explain to 105 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 3: him when he was marking me down. The real irony 106 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 3: as he's sitting there calling me a potential negative, toxic 107 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 3: presence that was going to ruin t morale The day 108 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 3: after I had just handed out handmade Valentines to my 109 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 3: other teammates. This person says, I agree with you and 110 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 3: absolutely would be heard in this aspect of having an 111 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 3: evaluation weaponized against you. He is toxic management. His actions 112 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 3: are going to damage morale more than providing a sympathetic 113 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 3: year will ever do. He boss is going to try 114 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 3: and flip this on you. Now that you're not doing 115 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 3: the extras that did brighten up your coworkers' days. He 116 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 3: may try and come back and use this against you. 117 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,799 Speaker 3: Do you have a way to formally dispute the evaluation? 118 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 3: Can you speak with hr? 119 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 6: He is out of line. 120 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 3: Punishing an employee for listening to someone else vent about 121 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 3: the workplace. Venting is healthy, gets things out in the 122 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 3: open so work can continue. I think you need to 123 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 3: vent to someone higher on the food chain that can 124 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 3: wrangle him in OPI said, this one isn't the annual, 125 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 3: so it doesn't really count towards anything that could impact 126 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,919 Speaker 3: pay or raises. If my next one goes like this, 127 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 3: I will be taking it above him. At that point, 128 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 3: I will potentially impact my earnings. And I refuse to 129 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,280 Speaker 3: get doc to pay when I do so much. And 130 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,720 Speaker 3: Opie says, I love this job. It's a good one 131 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 3: and one of the few that still has a union. 132 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 3: He wouldn't be able to terminate me unless I actually 133 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:20,720 Speaker 3: did something crazy or consistently not met my matrix, And 134 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 3: so it asks can you talk to your union rep 135 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 3: Opie says I could, but I'm holding off unless he 136 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 3: tries to take it further than this. My actual review 137 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 3: is up but a few months, and if that goes 138 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 3: like this again without good my performances, I will be 139 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 3: which I think that's a good idea. Yeah, but but 140 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 3: there is an update three days later. 141 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 4: I think I agree with you not being appreciated and like, 142 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,919 Speaker 4: is this really affecting your boss if you're not doing 143 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,359 Speaker 4: this morality? Like all the stuff that you're doing is. 144 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 3: I think, for example, it's like if you work at 145 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 3: a job and you know you are staying over time 146 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 3: sweep or clear things. 147 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, yeah, and you're. 148 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 3: Doing all this extra work that you're not being paid for. Uh, 149 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 3: and then your boss comes in and says, like you 150 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 3: suck and you did all this stuff wrong. Oh you 151 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 3: go yeah, okay, well I'm not being paid for all 152 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 3: the sexual work. 153 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 4: I don't have to do this. Yeah. It's the thing 154 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 4: of like you go above and beyond there. 155 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 3: Is an update. Three days later, there was an event 156 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 3: that usually requires someone to head up the card gift 157 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 3: staff coordination things. I had told the team and my 158 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 3: boss several weeks in advance this event was pending and 159 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 3: I wouldn't be free. No one did anything until the 160 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 3: day before, and then one of them called me to 161 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 3: ask that I do all the lake work. I declined, 162 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 3: citing that I just did not have the time, which 163 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 3: was slash is true. My higher ups quartered me on 164 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 3: this a few days later, stating that I've been pulling 165 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 3: away teamwork makes the dream work, et cetera, and citing 166 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 3: this event as evidence. They also cited me being on 167 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 3: my phone during unofficial mandatory fun times as further evidence 168 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 3: of drawing back. I told them that I had given 169 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 3: everyone Boss included weeks of notice that the event was 170 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 3: coming up and I wouldn't be able to head it. 171 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 3: I pointed out that I'm still helping the team with 172 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 3: tasks directly relevant to my work, but with my current caseload, 173 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 3: I just couldn't afford to allocate time to the social 174 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 3: event planning right now. As for the mandatory fun I 175 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 3: reminded them that I often don't get lunch breaks due 176 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 3: to community meetings that get held at those hours and 177 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 3: my having to flex out early on those days. So 178 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 3: having to lose out on a good break on a 179 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 3: day I don't have to is burning me out. They 180 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 3: fumbled around for about thirty minutes trying to convince me, 181 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 3: and I just held firm that with my current caseload, 182 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 3: I don't have time to allocate non essentials. I was 183 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 3: told I'm allowed to prioritize my breaks. I've been so 184 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 3: busy I haven't had a chance to attend the community 185 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 3: meetings recently, and honestly, this might be another thing I 186 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 3: end up cutting back on in the long run. Overall, 187 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 3: it came across like they're panicked. I'm considering leaving. 188 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 4: They should appreciate your Yeah. 189 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:04,719 Speaker 3: There was common about that concern, and I let them 190 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 3: know I'm not planning I'm leaving, but I am taking 191 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:11,319 Speaker 3: time to restructure my priorities now that my caseload has increased. 192 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 3: And there are some comments which I'll read. Oh, someone 193 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 3: asks about Opie's pay. I'm not underpaid. I'm compensated fairly. 194 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:23,559 Speaker 3: This is a job worth writing out. Frustration for policy 195 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 3: Change was to make some non traditional hours with stipulations mandatory. 196 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 3: I'm sure once the changes inevitably result with problems during 197 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 3: standard business hours, they'll eventually reconsider the stupid, short sighted 198 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:39,679 Speaker 3: band aid fix. And Ope says about what her work is. 199 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:43,200 Speaker 3: The nature of my work is emotionally draining. You could 200 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 3: describe the relationships with coworker as trauma bonded at times. 201 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 3: I do not have it in me at the end 202 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 3: of my forty hours to do more of what I 203 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 3: do at work for no pay. I know that sounds awful, 204 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 3: but I need my non work hours to spend time 205 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:02,680 Speaker 3: with friends, family, pets, hobbies. I can't serve from an 206 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 3: empty vessel. I know everyone's saying quit, but that's realistically 207 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 3: not a solution for me. I love the work I do. 208 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 3: I find large areas of it to be incredibly fulfilling. 209 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 3: I'm having a positive impact on my community. I know 210 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 3: that I bring a personal history that allows me to 211 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 3: be somewhat good at what I do. I'm not sure 212 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 3: they'd be able to easily find another me, and that's 213 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 3: unfortunately what the clients on my caseloughd need. Beyond that, however, 214 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 3: I enjoy coming into work at least ninety percent of 215 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 3: the time. I know I wouldn't be able to find 216 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:36,559 Speaker 3: another job that checks all the boxes this one does, 217 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 3: especially not where I live. A sleep Republic says, not 218 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 3: the ale, But seriously, weren't you overdoing it? Do your work, 219 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 3: enjoy your time, Opie says, I never work over forty 220 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 3: hours my hour's end and I walk right out the door, 221 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 3: and I leave the work phone there too. I don't 222 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 3: think I was overdoing it, just making sure I was 223 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:56,439 Speaker 3: covering those that will cover me when things come up. 224 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 3: It's not even a weekly occurrence, and they always reciprocate. 225 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 3: I still plan on helping cover what needs coverage in 226 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 3: regards to things relevant to the job, just not the 227 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 3: cards or party planning stuff, due to the way I'm 228 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 3: feeling about things right now. And Opie also says I 229 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 3: have zero desire to be promoted. I left a managerial 230 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 3: position where I ran three programs to do this job. 231 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 3: Less work, more pay, less responsibility. Not everyone fantasizes about 232 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:30,000 Speaker 3: job titles, and Opie says how she works. I am 233 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,719 Speaker 3: very detail oriented, organized and efficient to a fault. A 234 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,080 Speaker 3: lot of stuff I do simply because I feel guilty 235 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 3: for having free time at work. I could probably complete 236 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 3: my entire job functions each week in like twenty hours 237 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 3: if it was allowed. I've always been like this. I 238 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 3: probably have some kind of disorder. I'm just as bad 239 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 3: at home. My husband has told me that I complete 240 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 3: more in the time between waking and getting to work 241 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 3: than a lot of people manage in an entire day. 242 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 3: The job I left for this one to hire more 243 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 3: than one person to replace me, But training it's probably 244 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 3: easy because I wrote a guide on what needed to 245 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 3: be done daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually and gave 246 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 3: them my spreadsheets. I know if I reached out to 247 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:12,679 Speaker 3: that previous job, they'd snap me up at an instant. 248 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 3: But their pay and benefits are crap. And anything about 249 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,839 Speaker 3: the boss update wise Obey says, no hate to disappoint. 250 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 6: The thing is, he's. 251 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 3: A pretty decent boss most of the time. I think 252 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 3: that's why I was so shocked about this whole situation. 253 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 3: We don't have a lot of non mandatory, mandatory fun 254 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 3: stuff in our office, so I guess there haven't been 255 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:39,320 Speaker 3: many opportunities. I'm holding strong to just not heading it up. 256 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,559 Speaker 3: I'm doing my job and that's about it. My coworkers 257 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 3: haven't reached out at all this week, so I think 258 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 3: they're processing how to approach my sudden weirdness and distance. 259 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 3: And there is a final update, but any final thoughts. 260 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think they're finally seeing how much you'd do. 261 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, they're like, wait, hey, why aren't you helping it? 262 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:01,559 Speaker 7: No? 263 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 3: Wait, should have have been more, you know. Appreciative annual 264 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:12,320 Speaker 3: performance evaluation is in and it's just as dismal as 265 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 3: the retaliatory one. I've declined signing it without discussion and 266 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:20,839 Speaker 3: I've contacted my union. This feels like punitive retaliation. If 267 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 3: they can't justify the decreases despite my consistent quality performance, 268 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 3: I will be quiet quitting everything that's not a core 269 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 3: job function as continuing to do so we'll feel like 270 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 3: chasing an unattainable metric. There is a third update, actually 271 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 3: six and a half months later. 272 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 4: That's crazy though, Oh my goodness. Yeah, I'm just like, 273 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 4: you are still doing what you need to be doing. 274 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 3: You're literally doing your job. You're just not doing extra 275 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 3: work for free. They cannot mark you down for not 276 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:54,079 Speaker 3: doing free extra work. Union advise that technically the review 277 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 3: is valid as they're going by the letter of the 278 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 3: set parameters, and boss advised that since I meet my 279 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 3: deadlines and quotas, it's valid. I've gone the route of quiet, 280 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:07,200 Speaker 3: quitting nothing outside the minimum to meet expectations so my 281 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 3: raises aren't impacted. I've called in sick a few days. 282 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 3: There was non mandatory but unspoken mandatory fund. I've ceased 283 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 3: community outreach that I'm not missing my brakes. Coworkers are 284 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 3: aware there was unjust retaliation. More changes have come that 285 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 3: impact management. Boss is talking about taking a job with 286 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 3: less of a commute. I know I'll be encouraged to 287 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 3: apply for their position. All I'm going to do when. 288 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 6: That happens is laugh. 289 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 3: And that is the end of that story. But yeah, 290 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 3: good on you. Ope, that is completely unfair. You did 291 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 3: so much and the fact that they literally, you know, 292 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 3: affected your your. 293 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 4: Pay, they're never going to apologize. 294 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 8: Yeah, no, no, no, And that's the you know of 295 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 8: this story. We're going to go on to the next one. 296 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 4: A man at my office keeps blocking the door, so 297 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 4: I reported him. 298 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 2: Let me out. 299 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 4: There's this guy fifties who works at a different company 300 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 4: in the same business building as company, who blocks the doorway. 301 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 4: He does this by leaning against one side and extending 302 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 4: his arm out across it. If a woman happens to 303 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 4: be arriving at a doorway at the same time as him, 304 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 4: I report that he never says anything. He just does 305 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 4: his eye contact smile thing for maybe three seconds and 306 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 4: then allows us to go through. 307 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 5: Ew that. 308 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 4: By the way, this comes from user throw away non sec. 309 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 4: If you want submit your own stories, go to the 310 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 4: r slash Okay story time subur it. I'm keon, I'm 311 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 4: and we're here to give good advice goofly, but we 312 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 4: don't have all the answers. Unfortunately, we only know what 313 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 4: we'd do, So let us know what you'd do in 314 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 4: the comments pretty please. Today it was finally my turn. 315 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 4: I got to the main building door right after him, 316 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 4: so instead of holding it open so it didn't close 317 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 4: in my face like most people do, he just held 318 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 4: it open and stood there with a smug smile. It 319 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 4: makes me nervous. I go, uh, can I please enter 320 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 4: the building? I need to clock in, and he does 321 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 4: this whole wow geez fine, sorry, before stepping aside, still 322 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 4: holding the door open for me. So I said stop 323 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 4: doing that. We all hate it. Nice and I just 324 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 4: went in. As soon as I turned the corner from 325 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 4: the lobby. I half ran to the stairwell so I 326 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 4: wouldn't have to share the elevator with him. I don't 327 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 4: even know what Fermi works for. Does he even work there? 328 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 5: Yeah? 329 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 3: It does he even work here? 330 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 4: According to my closest coworker, HR won't do anything because 331 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 4: he's not an employee. 332 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 3: Well, then why is he in the building? 333 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 4: Do we have security? 334 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 5: Yeah? 335 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 3: Can we get security in the building. 336 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 4: And there's a little update. A mail colleague helped us 337 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 4: figure out which company he works for by following him 338 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 4: up the elevator coming back from lunch. It's a law 339 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 4: office on a higher floor. Another coworker took one of 340 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 4: your suggestions and wrote an email to the building's management office. 341 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 4: I went to my department manager and carefully asked, if 342 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 4: this sort of thing were to happen, would I report 343 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 4: it to our own HR. He said it should be 344 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 4: at least on record, even though if it's hard to put, 345 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 4: which made me give him the fry eyes. If you know, 346 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,120 Speaker 4: you know, and I do know, we know. I went 347 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:08,360 Speaker 4: back and typed up an email and sent it, ce 348 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 4: sed him, and bcced other woman that I've specifically seen 349 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 4: or heard deal with him if he thought I was 350 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 4: being hypothetical. Now he knows I wasn't. The colleague who 351 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 4: followed him to the office joked that we should hand 352 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:23,240 Speaker 4: draw flyers of him to warn people and put them 353 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:26,719 Speaker 4: in the elevators. Love that It's very the office asse, Yes, yes, 354 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 4: and we have an update. Yesterday was a long day 355 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:31,680 Speaker 4: from me. I came in early to make up for 356 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,119 Speaker 4: lost time spent focusing on this BS and not to 357 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 4: avoid the nooid. Although someone ran into him in the 358 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 4: afternoon and went straight to our manager and said he's 359 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 4: still doing it. So as far as yesterday, not much 360 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,880 Speaker 4: has changed. It has only been a day. Who does 361 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,120 Speaker 4: he look like? I got this question more than once, 362 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 4: so I asked around what celebrity did we think he 363 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 4: most resembles, and we all agreed he looks like the 364 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:58,199 Speaker 4: jump to conclusions guy from the movie Office Space. 365 00:17:58,760 --> 00:17:59,639 Speaker 3: I'm looking that up. 366 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 4: It's act being true, no way, that actor's probably really lovely, 367 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 4: but he played a very persistent and annoying character. But 368 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 4: except for that character, to give you an image, he's 369 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:12,120 Speaker 4: a lot taller. He's over six feet at least. Thank 370 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 4: you so so much for all your support and suggestions. 371 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,719 Speaker 4: I've never been advised about pepper spray so much. I 372 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 4: do carry it, but the one time I had to 373 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 4: use it, it got in my eyes too, so it's 374 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 4: become more of a last resort tool. I told everyone 375 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 4: in the bullpen about whipping out our phones and taking 376 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 4: a pick or video, including people who happened to notice 377 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,199 Speaker 4: from a distance. In the moment, I think a lot 378 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 4: of us kind of freeze up. I mean I did, 379 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,919 Speaker 4: so having a plan of action ahead of time really helps. 380 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:42,280 Speaker 4: I took one person's suggestion about wearing huge headphones. The 381 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:45,159 Speaker 4: theory is that because people who wear those are in 382 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,160 Speaker 4: their own little world, it's acceptable to show no concern, 383 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:52,080 Speaker 4: which makes attention seekers feel less significant. So I wore 384 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 4: my headphones today and got here at my normal time, 385 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 4: but no one was hanging around the main entrance. Not 386 00:18:57,520 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 4: sure if that's because of the email or not. It's 387 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 4: I'll be too early to hear of any official steps taken, 388 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 4: but I did feel kind of young and cool on 389 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 4: the light rail way, more comfy than my AirPods. One 390 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,960 Speaker 4: person dwed me the song de Toto and Poko from 391 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 4: Dirty Dancing, and so next time someone should queue it 392 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 4: up on their phone blast it and start a limbo line. 393 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:21,480 Speaker 4: All genders welcome. Several folks asked about what I wrote 394 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 4: in the email, so here's a copy paste of it 395 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 4: with identifying details omitted or changed. I'll post another update 396 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:31,120 Speaker 4: when more happens, hopefully today. I keep reading the email 397 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,679 Speaker 4: and my stomach has been flipping over and over like 398 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 4: I'm a kid about to get in a huge trouble 399 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 4: and here's the email. Are we ready? 400 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 5: Yeah? 401 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:42,160 Speaker 4: Two hr department at the law office is a blank 402 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,400 Speaker 4: in blank. I am writing on behalf of myself and 403 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 4: several employees at call center Company located on the third 404 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,679 Speaker 4: floor of our shared building to inform you about some 405 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 4: workplace intimidation we have been experiencing for several weeks now. 406 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 4: An employee at your firm has been intentionally intimidating woman 407 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,639 Speaker 4: by interrupting their path of travel to and from our 408 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 4: offices by blocking the doorway with his body in order 409 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 4: to force an interaction. He will not move aside until 410 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,400 Speaker 4: some kind of verbal exchange has happened. He only does 411 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 4: this with women, as far as we've observed and documented, 412 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 4: which makes us all inclined to call this spicy related intimidation. 413 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 4: This behavior is, of course unacceptable. This individual creates a 414 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 4: very uncomfortable work environment. Despite being in different organizations on 415 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 4: different floors, he will often be the first interaction of 416 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 4: the day as he seems to linger around the main 417 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 4: building lobby and entrance in the mornings. He will also 418 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 4: do this with the elevator doors by stalling them from 419 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:42,160 Speaker 4: closing or blocking access to the button panel. This has 420 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 4: been setting a tone that interferes with having a secure 421 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 4: working experience. Many of us have made multiple attempts to 422 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 4: address the issue with this person directly. We are requesting 423 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 4: that your firm take a media action to investigate and 424 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:58,080 Speaker 4: address this issue. This has already been discussed with our 425 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 4: department manager and HR department and they are looking forward 426 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 4: to hearing from yours. I've see seds them on this 427 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:07,640 Speaker 4: email as well as the blah blah plaza building manager. 428 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:10,639 Speaker 4: It is fair to assume that with six different organizations 429 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:13,600 Speaker 4: sharing the same building, our employees are not the only 430 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 4: ones experiencing this. Please inform us when call Center company 431 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 4: can expect to see the results of your investigation and 432 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 4: what measures will be taken to ensure that this type 433 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 4: of behavior does not happen again in the future. We 434 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 4: hope that this issue can be resolved quickly, and that 435 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 4: appropriate actions will be taken to ensure that all employees 436 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 4: working in blah blah Plaza feel safe and respected as 437 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 4: we all make our way to and from our offices. Sincerely, 438 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:38,640 Speaker 4: with gratitude. Okay, I have to get back to work. 439 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 4: I will keep updating. And we have read update. 440 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:41,480 Speaker 6: Email. 441 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 4: That's a that's a solid email. You covered all bases. 442 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:47,160 Speaker 3: Ten out of ten. Really really good email. 443 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 4: You know what professional too? Yeah, sound a very nice, 444 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 4: amazing you should. 445 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:53,919 Speaker 3: Yeah see if it worked. 446 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:55,439 Speaker 4: And we have a second update. 447 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:57,400 Speaker 5: Oh boy. 448 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 4: I have never gotten this much traffic from a post before, 449 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 4: or mostly in a positive way. From all the support 450 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,440 Speaker 4: and suggestions and input and reminders I've gotten over the 451 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,919 Speaker 4: last several days, so many comments helped me turn my 452 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 4: anger into power. I've been riding a high from them 453 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 4: and from that email. I've never done anything like that before, 454 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:18,400 Speaker 4: and I'm so appreciative of all the support and validation 455 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,359 Speaker 4: that I did the right thing. Here's how the week's 456 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 4: been going. Monday, no one saw the Nooid, which is 457 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 4: what I've been calling him funny. I've arrived fifteen minutes early, 458 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:32,680 Speaker 4: just in case I was afraid he would confront me angry, 459 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 4: but because he'd gotten in trouble. But no, lobby was 460 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 4: empty and I was the first person to arrive at 461 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,760 Speaker 4: the office that day. When I was in the break room, 462 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:42,639 Speaker 4: at one point, a colleague who sits in the bullpen 463 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 4: near me said, this is the first time in months 464 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 4: she hasn't had to deal with him some way or another. Tuesday, 465 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 4: still no NOOID sightings. I asked around. I haven't seen 466 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 4: his car in the lot. Did he get fired? 467 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 3: Alps. 468 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 4: It was super busy that day and I was pretty 469 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:02,800 Speaker 4: much glued to my desk, so I didn't have time 470 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:05,439 Speaker 4: to meet with my manager or anything besides shooting him 471 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 4: a quick hey any response via teams before I left 472 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:11,479 Speaker 4: for the day. I didn't want to be pushy, but 473 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 4: really wanted to know. Yesterday was Wednesday. Mid morning, a 474 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 4: few women, including myself, were asked to meet with HR separately. Ooh, okay, 475 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,440 Speaker 4: maybe he was asked to stay home and like, let's 476 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,280 Speaker 4: figure investigate. I learned that the law offices of Blank 477 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:29,679 Speaker 4: and Blank's HR rep email the response to my email 478 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 4: directly to them and my manager on Monday without seeing 479 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,400 Speaker 4: me on it. This made me feel some kind of way. 480 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 4: But whatever. The noid is not an attorney but a paralegal, 481 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 4: and he's on voluntary leave for the week. 482 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 3: Good nice, Ah, maybe let's make that full leave. 483 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 4: I fake that up pretty quickly. 484 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. 485 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 4: I asked if the response email could be forwarded to me, 486 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 4: but I was told that the policy prevents HR from 487 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 4: disclosing any disciplinary actions that might have been taken against him. 488 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 4: Then I had to write a short statement describing my 489 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 4: specific encounter. I hate how in words it doesn't look 490 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:06,119 Speaker 4: like a big deal, but I was assured that it is, 491 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:07,480 Speaker 4: and it is a big deal. 492 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:08,400 Speaker 3: It's a very big deal. 493 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,440 Speaker 4: Don't let anyone say this wasn't a big deal. A 494 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:12,320 Speaker 4: bunch of us went out for drinks after work, and 495 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 4: I got to hear what others wrote in their statements, 496 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:18,359 Speaker 4: like how he sometimes followed them to their cars trying 497 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:21,359 Speaker 4: to talk to them creepy, or how he would stand 498 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:24,160 Speaker 4: in the elevator doors preventing them from closing until they 499 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 4: heard please. 500 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:27,640 Speaker 6: Just do good job. 501 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:31,880 Speaker 3: Yeah that's amazing, OPI. I mean, it takes so much 502 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,879 Speaker 3: work and so much bravery to stand up to people 503 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 3: like this, and you did it, and look how like 504 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 3: it already has you know, seen or cause change. And 505 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 3: you've already heard from other people that they feel safer 506 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 3: that they haven't had those interactions. 507 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 4: I mean, obviously he was an obstacle, but you took 508 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 4: away that obstacle and that uh that that gross feeling 509 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 4: of coming to work dread I guarantee you people dreaded 510 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:58,120 Speaker 4: coming to work because of him. Yeah, so a great job, 511 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 4: good job op today Thursday. I just got here and 512 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 4: still no NOI we were all passing away to know 513 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 4: what happened if he got fired or maybe transferred or whatever. 514 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:12,640 Speaker 4: No one has been told anything except that he chose 515 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:14,720 Speaker 4: to take some days off. Maybe this is the law 516 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,880 Speaker 4: office for protecting themselves. I don't know. The thing I'm 517 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 4: most afraid of is if he comes back, will he 518 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:23,919 Speaker 4: be hostile or retaliate in some way and I'll have 519 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 4: to be brave again and report it. I wish we 520 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,360 Speaker 4: had a spy in their offices. I'm sorry I don't 521 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 4: have more for you. It's kind of anticlimactic, I know. 522 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 4: I promise if I get to know what actually happened 523 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:36,919 Speaker 4: to him, I will let you all know, or if 524 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,399 Speaker 4: he reappears, I will loop y'all in and edit to 525 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,480 Speaker 4: add in, I'm getting a frame for that email for 526 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 4: my apartment, and that's the end of that story. I'm 527 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 4: hoping he's never coming back. 528 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:48,800 Speaker 3: I hope so too. I'm gonna choose to believe that 529 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 3: he's never come back. 530 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 4: Good on euop. And if he does come back, I 531 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 4: mean hopefully doesn't. But you got so many people to 532 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:57,440 Speaker 4: back you up. You got everything in your power. You 533 00:25:57,520 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 4: got the building backing you up, you got the law 534 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 4: offices backing you up. 535 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 5: Got it. 536 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:04,119 Speaker 8: Yeah, And that's the end of this story. We're going 537 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:05,160 Speaker 8: to go on to the next one. 538 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:09,399 Speaker 5: I accused my girlfriend of cheating and now I can't 539 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:10,159 Speaker 5: make up for it. 540 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:11,440 Speaker 4: How much proof did you have? 541 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 2: Basically, my twenty eight male girlfriend twenty four female was 542 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:18,200 Speaker 2: acting shady. 543 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 5: By shady, I mean that she was on her phone 544 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 5: a lot, making phone calls, and I saw payments from 545 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 5: her cards for events and things I wasn't doing with her. 546 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,480 Speaker 5: By the way, this comes from user uni Fara B 547 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 5: three And if you want to submit your own stories, 548 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,439 Speaker 5: go to the r slash Okay storytime suburday. I'm Dakota, 549 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,439 Speaker 5: I'm Keon, and we are here to give you good advice. Goofly, 550 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:40,679 Speaker 5: but we don't have all the answers. We only know 551 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 5: what we would do, so let us know what you 552 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,680 Speaker 5: do in the comments. I waited it out a week 553 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:49,679 Speaker 5: or two, and the weirdness continued. She fell asleep and 554 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:51,919 Speaker 5: I went through her phone and found bookings for a 555 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 5: hotel at the weekend in a city a ways away, 556 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 5: and tickets for some sporting event on that weekend. I 557 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 5: she woke her up and shoved the phone at her, 558 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 5: demanding she explained. She looked distraught and said, do you 559 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 5: really think I'd do that, and began to cry. She 560 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 5: then told me to look at the bookings properly, and 561 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 5: when I did, my heart sank. We rarely got time 562 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:18,120 Speaker 5: off together, and she had booked me the weekend off 563 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 5: through my boss as a surprise. Booked a hotel in 564 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:24,560 Speaker 5: the city I said, I wanted to visit, and it 565 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 5: just so happened my team we're playing in that city 566 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 5: that weekend, so she'd spend a good amount on tickets. 567 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:33,680 Speaker 2: She had also booked a table at my favorite restaurant. 568 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:37,679 Speaker 5: I instantly realized how stupid I had been, and I 569 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 5: can't believe my first thought was that she would betray 570 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,360 Speaker 5: me when she's given me no reason to distrust her. 571 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:47,159 Speaker 5: It's kind of tainted the surprise weekend, and she's so disheartened. 572 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:50,400 Speaker 5: I've tried to apologize, but she's just shut off from 573 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 5: me and is so hurt by my assumptions. How can 574 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:57,200 Speaker 5: I make this better? And we have some comments. 575 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:01,160 Speaker 4: I don't know how you make this better? Get yeah. 576 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:04,159 Speaker 4: I mean you can apologize and apologize, but you you 577 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 4: once snoop through her phone, you jump to the final 578 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:09,159 Speaker 4: accusation of her cheating on you, and you showed her 579 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 4: how dumb and insecure are. 580 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,960 Speaker 5: Your weird vibes from the setup of this story were 581 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:16,680 Speaker 5: just that, like she's been on the phone and she's 582 00:28:17,359 --> 00:28:21,480 Speaker 5: going places and doing things without you. That doesn't sound 583 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 5: like very firm evidence at all. Hers, she kiss nips, says, 584 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:29,879 Speaker 5: there probably isn't much you can say to make this 585 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:35,679 Speaker 5: better instantly, certainly apologize not only for jumping to the conclusion, 586 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 5: but for invading her privacy and going through her phone. 587 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,400 Speaker 2: You clearly understand why she is so upset. 588 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:44,240 Speaker 5: I think you need to do some soul searching to 589 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 5: discover why you were quick to jump to her cheating. 590 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 5: My guess is that you have some trust issues in 591 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 5: your life in general and or some insecurities. She is 592 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 5: personalizing this as you seeing something in her that would 593 00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 5: bring you to that conclusion that she is someone who 594 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 5: who is dishonest or presents as someone who could cheat. 595 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 5: You say in your post that is not the case, 596 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:08,840 Speaker 5: So where did that come from? If you can articulate 597 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 5: that to her, take the blame from her and own it, 598 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 5: and commit to working on whatever that issue is, you're 599 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:18,880 Speaker 5: taking a step in the right direction. Violent Delights xox says, 600 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 5: can anyone just take a sec and realize he somehow 601 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 5: saw her bank payments too? Like? This is beyond wrongly 602 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 5: accusing someone. This is invading her privacy and making her 603 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 5: feel like utter crap Because you couldn't just ask her 604 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:34,719 Speaker 5: what was going on. Instead of talking and voicing your 605 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 5: concerns to her, you acted like a teenager and eft 606 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 5: your relationship up. I don't know whether this is fixable, 607 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 5: and you need to sit down and talk to her 608 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 5: about it rather than asking strangers. 609 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 4: On the internet. 610 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 5: I read your responses and decided to make a big 611 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 5: apology to my girlfriend for how I behaved. 612 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 2: However, before I got the chance, she arrived at the house. 613 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:56,920 Speaker 5: I'll hold my hands up and say that this isn't 614 00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 5: the first time I've jumped to conclusions, and pretty much 615 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 5: since we've got together, I've had a habit of winding 616 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 5: myself up and then checking her phone or accounts. I 617 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 5: know it's wrong, but I always felt if I found something, 618 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 5: I'd be justified, which is so messed up. I know 619 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 5: my ex did cheat on me, well, she hadn't a 620 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 5: fair and left me for the other dude. I guess 621 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 5: I projected this onto my current girlfriend. My girlfriend never 622 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,280 Speaker 5: ever has given me any reason to doubt her, and 623 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 5: treats me better than I've ever been treated before. She's 624 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 5: down to earth, honest, open, funny, kind, beautiful, and she 625 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 5: gives me the opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings 626 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 5: with no judgment. 627 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:37,160 Speaker 2: I don't know why I assumed the worst of her. 628 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:38,000 Speaker 2: I really don't. 629 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 5: To answer a common question, she has an online banking 630 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:42,880 Speaker 5: app on her phone, and it's the same passcode as 631 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 5: her mobiles, so I could log on super super effed up. 632 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 5: I know when she arrived at the house she was 633 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,920 Speaker 5: calm but sad. She explained that she knew I'd always 634 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 5: check her phone and that i'd be off with her 635 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:57,479 Speaker 5: anytime she went out with friends, but that she always 636 00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 5: hoped over time, if she proved herself, I'd let it go. 637 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 5: When she found out that I'd done what I did, 638 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:04,280 Speaker 5: it hurt even more because she was trying to do 639 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:06,800 Speaker 5: something nice for me. She told me she loves me, 640 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 5: but she finds herself justifying every activity she does over 641 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 5: explaining herself, and told me she has real, genuine anxiety 642 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 5: whenever she's out with friends because she knows, albeit at 643 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 5: home imagining scenarios of where she could be, she found 644 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:24,960 Speaker 5: herself withdrawing from friends. She told me we were over, 645 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:28,280 Speaker 5: not because she doesn't love me, because she can't devote 646 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 5: her life to someone who only sees the worst in her. 647 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 5: She told me that I could have just spoken to 648 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:37,000 Speaker 5: her and she'd be honest, but that she knows even 649 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,240 Speaker 5: if she did, I wouldn't believe her unless I could 650 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 5: prove it, and she's probably right. I don't know why, 651 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 5: but I know in myself I would not fully believe her, 652 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 5: because I mean, of course she would say that right. Anyway, 653 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 5: she left me, packed up her things and went. I 654 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:56,680 Speaker 5: know her. 655 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 2: She's a strong minded woman. 656 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:03,080 Speaker 5: It really is over, and I've never felt worse but 657 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:06,560 Speaker 5: she's right. I'm not ready to trust someone yet. And 658 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 5: even in our last moments, she gave me the confidence 659 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 5: and motivation to get help and be better, even if 660 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:15,480 Speaker 5: she won't be there to see the change. I know 661 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 5: she loves me, and that fact alone makes it worth 662 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:18,520 Speaker 5: changing myself. 663 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 4: This is a big, big life lesson for you, and 664 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:27,160 Speaker 4: you know the issue. You know what you gotta do. 665 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 4: You gotta just focus on yourself. You got to resolve 666 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:32,760 Speaker 4: this trauma and it's hard. But you can't blame her. 667 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 4: I don't think anyone blames her. She said the whole truth. 668 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:38,040 Speaker 5: Let's finish this story. I'm not gonna try and win 669 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:41,280 Speaker 5: her back because I can't promise I won't do it again. 670 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 5: I'm heartbroken and hurt. But she verbalized it in such 671 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 5: a way that it really hit home. She calmly explained 672 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:49,680 Speaker 5: it to me in a way that only showed me 673 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:54,240 Speaker 5: her true love for me. I'm just so sorry for 674 00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:57,360 Speaker 5: hurting her, I guess, but thank you all for sharing 675 00:32:57,400 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 5: your opinions and giving me some home truths. 676 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:02,479 Speaker 2: I appreciate it more than you know. This is it 677 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:02,880 Speaker 2: for now. 678 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:06,320 Speaker 5: Hopefully this time next year I'll be a new man 679 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:08,960 Speaker 5: and be able to treat the next woman who loves 680 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,240 Speaker 5: me the way my ex girlfriend. 681 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 2: Deserved to be treated. Well, at least you're you know 682 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:18,960 Speaker 2: you're moving on. I guess that's the good. 683 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:22,400 Speaker 4: The right was a big wake up call. Op, we 684 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 4: wish you the best. I don't think right now the 685 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 4: thought process of next partner. I feel like it needs 686 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 4: to stem to you first before anything of how you 687 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 4: can trust and can you do this? Because this is 688 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 4: gonna be a big problem in any relationship. So hopefully 689 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 4: that can get resolved or you can work on yourself, 690 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 4: and then when the time is right and you find 691 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:46,920 Speaker 4: a partner, hopefully it gets better. 692 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 5: And that's the end of this story. 693 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 2: We're gonna go on to the next one. 694 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 1: Sam Here, we're gonna get back to the stories. But 695 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:53,760 Speaker 1: here's three minutes bads from our sponsors. 696 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 4: My boyfriend posted a photo with a friend sitting on 697 00:33:57,880 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 4: his lap. 698 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:02,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, that ain't no friends and no friend of mine. 699 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 4: So some background. Matt twenty eight male and I twenty 700 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 4: two female have been dating unofficially for nine months and 701 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 4: officially for four. We kept things casual at first since 702 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 4: we were both close to graduating from our respective programs 703 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:18,719 Speaker 4: and weren't sure where we would end up, but once 704 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:21,279 Speaker 4: we were both settled in the same city, we made 705 00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:24,840 Speaker 4: things official. By the way, this comes from user dev 706 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:27,160 Speaker 4: dev dev d and if you want to submit your 707 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:29,719 Speaker 4: own stories, go to the r slash Okay storytime suvered it. 708 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:32,480 Speaker 4: I'm Keon, I'm Dakota, and we're here to give good 709 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:36,120 Speaker 4: advice goofily, but we don't have all the answers, not yet, 710 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:38,920 Speaker 4: so we only know what we'd do. Please let us 711 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:41,280 Speaker 4: know what you'd do in the comments. As Opie says, 712 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:43,920 Speaker 4: during this casual dating phase, I met a few of 713 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:49,920 Speaker 4: his friends. One in particular, Sarah twenty seven, female, often 714 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:52,000 Speaker 4: went out of her way to clarify that we were 715 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,759 Speaker 4: not official or exclusive. She also made caddy comments about 716 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:58,880 Speaker 4: my profession, which I love doing, but it's certainly not 717 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 4: as prestigious as my boyfriend's and his friend's job. She 718 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:05,800 Speaker 4: made comments about my school, again not nearly as prestigious 719 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:08,839 Speaker 4: as where they all attended, and my age since I'm 720 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:12,120 Speaker 4: five years younger than them. She has just generally made 721 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 4: condescending comments to me and rudely interrupted me. I've never 722 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:17,680 Speaker 4: made a big deal out of it because Matt's other 723 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:20,440 Speaker 4: friends are really friendly to me, and I'm generally an 724 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:25,320 Speaker 4: easy going person. All of Matt's friends, including Sarah, recently 725 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:28,760 Speaker 4: went to a party. I was invited but had other plans, 726 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:32,040 Speaker 4: so I didn't go. A few days later, on the 727 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:34,560 Speaker 4: blue app someone posted a photo of all the friends 728 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:39,240 Speaker 4: together at this said party. Everyone is posed normally except 729 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:44,839 Speaker 4: Matt and Sarah. He's sitting down and she has her 730 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:48,799 Speaker 4: arms and legs wrapped around him and is arching her 731 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:51,800 Speaker 4: back and kind of flipping her hair back. It clearly 732 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:55,040 Speaker 4: comes across as spicy related because several people commented on 733 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:58,720 Speaker 4: the post asking what was going on or marking jokes 734 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:01,239 Speaker 4: about it. I text said Matt and asked why he 735 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:02,839 Speaker 4: thought it was a good idea to take a photo 736 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:06,960 Speaker 4: of his friend practically mounting him, and he said, are 737 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:10,799 Speaker 4: you on something that's just a photo of friends. I 738 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:13,759 Speaker 4: tried explain to him that I found it disrespectful, but 739 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:18,640 Speaker 4: he hasn't budged, So am I overreacting here? What should 740 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:21,879 Speaker 4: I do? And we have some relevant comments? Dragonflies love 741 00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:25,960 Speaker 4: me says Ah, Yes, the classic deflect then blame you 742 00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:28,960 Speaker 4: move that plus the fact that he never gently or 743 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:31,520 Speaker 4: otherwise said anything to her about how she treats you 744 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 4: in general says to me that he likes her attention 745 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:37,480 Speaker 4: and does not want to give it up. So I 746 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:39,799 Speaker 4: think it's time for a sit down talk. He needs 747 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:42,319 Speaker 4: to understand where you're coming from, and he needs to 748 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:44,920 Speaker 4: decide if her attention is more important than you feeling 749 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 4: disrespected by the both of them, then you'll have to 750 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:49,359 Speaker 4: decide how much you're willing to put up with. 751 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:50,080 Speaker 3: No. 752 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:54,840 Speaker 4: I don't think you're overreacting. He'll play dumb, really really dumb, 753 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 4: or he knows exactly what she's doing and he enjoys it. 754 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:01,320 Speaker 4: Even if he's not fully aware of what she's doing, 755 00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:03,920 Speaker 4: he's enjoying it. But he needs to realize that this 756 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:06,520 Speaker 4: is coming at the expense of your feelings, at the 757 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:10,000 Speaker 4: cost of your respect and the public perception of respect 758 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:13,560 Speaker 4: of this relationship. I mean, his friends were even laying 759 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:16,920 Speaker 4: it on this soft corn context of that pick. He 760 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:20,200 Speaker 4: needs to take some responsibility here. He can say to Sarah, 761 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:24,480 Speaker 4: chill out, take it down a notch, or even say, hey, Sarah, 762 00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:28,840 Speaker 4: easy there, that's my girlfriend. You're insulting not cool waiting 763 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:32,560 Speaker 4: for a dragon. I think that the previous commenter has 764 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:35,640 Speaker 4: really described the situation perfectly. I would also love to 765 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:38,120 Speaker 4: know how Matt would react in this situation if your 766 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:40,720 Speaker 4: roles were reversed and you were sat in the lap 767 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:43,240 Speaker 4: of some man who had subtly and not so subtly 768 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:48,000 Speaker 4: mocked him in front of you on multiple occasions. Sometimes, 769 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:51,080 Speaker 4: when drink and silliness is involved, people get carried away 770 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:53,400 Speaker 4: and do things that wouldn't normally do in the sober 771 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:56,319 Speaker 4: light of day. It's possible that this is what has 772 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:59,520 Speaker 4: happened with Matt, and that instead of putting his big 773 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:04,640 Speaker 4: boy shoe and admitting it, he's being defensive. What bothers 774 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:06,920 Speaker 4: me more in your account than the picture is the 775 00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:10,799 Speaker 4: caddy comments you've endured. Why hasn't Matt picked up on 776 00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:13,960 Speaker 4: these and done something about them? I think what matters 777 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 4: now is whether or not he will acknowledge this transgression 778 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:19,359 Speaker 4: and admit he messed up and will promise to be 779 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:22,560 Speaker 4: more careful in the future. If he doesn't, I think 780 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:24,279 Speaker 4: it would be in your best interest to move on 781 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:27,560 Speaker 4: from this relationship. It's not worth investing more time in 782 00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:32,319 Speaker 4: someone who can't respect their partner. Op responds with From 783 00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:35,440 Speaker 4: what I know of Sarah's personality, she's the type of 784 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:38,760 Speaker 4: person who will say or do outrageous things for attention, 785 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:42,000 Speaker 4: and then her friends will just laugh and say, that's 786 00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:42,879 Speaker 4: Sarah for you. 787 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:46,080 Speaker 5: Wow, that's Sarah. 788 00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:49,000 Speaker 4: Oh did I call it? Or did I call it? 789 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:49,640 Speaker 2: Yeah? 790 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:51,840 Speaker 5: She's like, that's just who she is. 791 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:55,600 Speaker 4: She's just a boss. B Come on, she really gets 792 00:38:55,600 --> 00:38:58,399 Speaker 4: to you like that. You're kind of soft. Op, Oh, 793 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:00,640 Speaker 4: you're kind of soft. She's chill. Once you get to 794 00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:04,080 Speaker 4: really know her personality, she's really cool. So when she 795 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:06,920 Speaker 4: says insulting things to me, there will usually be a 796 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:11,040 Speaker 4: moment of everyone's sharply inhaling, followed by laughter and oh 797 00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:14,560 Speaker 4: my god, Sarah, you can't say things like that. When 798 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:16,880 Speaker 4: I brought that up, I don't like being the subject 799 00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:20,520 Speaker 4: to her wit, Matt's basically had the reaction of, that's 800 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:21,440 Speaker 4: just how she is. 801 00:39:22,239 --> 00:39:25,880 Speaker 2: I just like hanging out with mean ladies. I'm gonna 802 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:27,080 Speaker 2: have to be okay with that. 803 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:29,319 Speaker 5: I like my lady's lotle mean. 804 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:33,759 Speaker 4: You see this, you see this out of pocket, that's 805 00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:35,759 Speaker 4: just Sarah. That's just Sarah. 806 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:36,160 Speaker 5: Yeah. 807 00:39:36,239 --> 00:39:40,120 Speaker 4: If he's not respecting your boundaries or even sticking up 808 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:41,719 Speaker 4: for you, and he's just like, that's how it is, 809 00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:46,440 Speaker 4: and he knows your being disrespected, it shows how far 810 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:50,160 Speaker 4: he will go for you. So, after reading the responses here, 811 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:53,640 Speaker 4: I thought I was being pretty rational about my concerns. 812 00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:56,560 Speaker 4: I confront of my boyfriend and not only did he 813 00:39:56,600 --> 00:39:59,720 Speaker 4: double down on the insistence that he did nothing wrong, 814 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 4: but he also said some pretty nasty things. This brought 815 00:40:03,040 --> 00:40:05,560 Speaker 4: up other issues we'd had, and I decided to end 816 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:08,919 Speaker 4: things nice. It looks like it's been resolved. You got 817 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:13,000 Speaker 4: his true colors, and uh, you broke up with him. 818 00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:13,440 Speaker 4: Good for you. 819 00:40:13,640 --> 00:40:16,240 Speaker 5: Never an excuse for your partner to get angry, yelly 820 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:21,920 Speaker 5: mad at you. Never never accept someone being legitimately angry 821 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:23,680 Speaker 5: yelly blah blah at you. 822 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:28,800 Speaker 4: Now, almost a month later on social media, I see 823 00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:32,080 Speaker 4: he and Sarah are now dating. 824 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:35,319 Speaker 5: Yeah that's I was gonna say, like, brace yourself for 825 00:40:35,360 --> 00:40:38,680 Speaker 5: that inevitably happening, probably, but you know. 826 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:43,600 Speaker 4: Ah, potato potato, Just move on. So much for that 827 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:46,680 Speaker 4: being a normal picture for platonic friends to take right. 828 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:50,399 Speaker 4: Lesson learned, Trust your gut, and choose a partner who 829 00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:54,520 Speaker 4: respects you. I never felt secure in that relationship, but 830 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:57,080 Speaker 4: I know one day I'll find someone who cares about 831 00:40:57,080 --> 00:41:01,360 Speaker 4: me and isn't quasi cheating with his friend. Being single 832 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:03,800 Speaker 4: is one hundred times better than being called crazy for 833 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:07,279 Speaker 4: calling out inappropriate behavior. We have some top comments here, 834 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:10,480 Speaker 4: let's go ahead straight into them from deleted. Now he 835 00:41:10,520 --> 00:41:14,400 Speaker 4: can become Sarah's problem. I'd say behavior like that doesn't 836 00:41:14,480 --> 00:41:17,080 Speaker 4: change overnight, and I guess they both have another thing coming. 837 00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:20,480 Speaker 4: Really good on you, Op for trusting your gut and 838 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:25,120 Speaker 4: putting yourself first. Good luck with everything. A bys Stare says, 839 00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:28,320 Speaker 4: always trust your gut, and yes, being single is always 840 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,879 Speaker 4: better than a disrespectful relationship. You did the right thing, 841 00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:35,520 Speaker 4: and I see have that story. Good job. You knew 842 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:38,080 Speaker 4: you were weren't gonna be that punching bag. You aren't 843 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:40,880 Speaker 4: gonna keep taking that ish, So good for you. 844 00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:41,160 Speaker 6: OP. 845 00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:43,960 Speaker 4: Find someone who respects you and treats you the way 846 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:44,960 Speaker 4: you to be deserved. 847 00:41:45,040 --> 00:41:47,319 Speaker 8: And that's the end of his story. We're gonna go 848 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:48,120 Speaker 8: on to the next one. 849 00:41:48,680 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 5: My fiance excused me of taking advantage of him financially 850 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:53,839 Speaker 5: when I'm really struggling. 851 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:56,160 Speaker 3: You're not even taking advantage very well. 852 00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,400 Speaker 5: Backstory, I twenty nine female, have been with my fiance, 853 00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:01,560 Speaker 5: he thirty three mail for five years and he has 854 00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:05,360 Speaker 5: always had an issue with my finances. We've lived together 855 00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:08,080 Speaker 5: for four years and are set to get married next summer. 856 00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:11,120 Speaker 5: He does well for himself, makes decent money. He owns 857 00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:13,960 Speaker 5: a twenty twelve Harley, a new twenty thirteen truck, and 858 00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:17,320 Speaker 5: bought his our house about an a year and a 859 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:19,879 Speaker 5: half ago. I am genuinely proud of him. He works 860 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:22,520 Speaker 5: hard and deserves everything he has. By the way, this 861 00:42:22,560 --> 00:42:24,080 Speaker 5: comes from a deleted user. And if you want to 862 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:25,880 Speaker 5: submit your own stories, go to the r slash showcase 863 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:29,400 Speaker 5: Storytime suburd it. I'm Dakota, I'm Sophia, I'm Keon, and 864 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:30,520 Speaker 5: we're here to give you a little bit of good 865 00:42:30,520 --> 00:42:33,560 Speaker 5: to baskofery. We don't have all the answers. We only 866 00:42:33,560 --> 00:42:34,959 Speaker 5: know what we do, so if you do something different, 867 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:38,399 Speaker 5: let us know in the comments. And Opie says, I've 868 00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:42,040 Speaker 5: struggled with financial irresponsibility in the past, but I have changed. 869 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:44,920 Speaker 5: The only thing I really spend money on for myself. 870 00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:48,719 Speaker 3: Is Siggy's a little siggys Tis test. 871 00:42:48,840 --> 00:42:53,080 Speaker 5: Op Yes, it's nasty, it's an expensive habit, I know, 872 00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:56,279 Speaker 5: but it's my only indulgence and it helps me cope. 873 00:42:56,080 --> 00:43:00,440 Speaker 9: Wrong, mad, bad prey, big tobacco. 874 00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:02,799 Speaker 3: Yeah, it doesn't help you cope. You would be able 875 00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:03,560 Speaker 3: to cope without it. 876 00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:04,080 Speaker 6: You just have to. 877 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:07,399 Speaker 9: You have to get that actually does is it makes 878 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:11,920 Speaker 9: your cope and skills increase, and such a line need 879 00:43:11,960 --> 00:43:15,160 Speaker 9: the thing to help you cope, which makes you feel 880 00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:18,800 Speaker 9: like it makes you cope better, but really it's already 881 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:21,200 Speaker 9: reduced your baseline cope and ability. 882 00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:22,919 Speaker 6: Yep, yep. 883 00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:25,040 Speaker 3: I have no further additions. 884 00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:28,279 Speaker 5: Now I'm fighting a new battle, the Battle of Helm's Deep. 885 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:30,000 Speaker 5: I decided to go back to school a few years 886 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,000 Speaker 5: ago to better myself and hopefully get a job that 887 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:35,000 Speaker 5: pays well enough to support our future. After a couple 888 00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:37,720 Speaker 5: of years of taking classes part time and getting nowhere, 889 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:42,759 Speaker 5: I've finally enrolled full time. I was bartending, but I 890 00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:44,960 Speaker 5: had to quit after the place I worked that screwed 891 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:47,719 Speaker 5: up my schedule between full time school and a part 892 00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:50,160 Speaker 5: time job. I could not make it work and they 893 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:54,640 Speaker 5: wouldn't accommodate me, so I left. This semester is especially tough. 894 00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:58,360 Speaker 5: On top of classes, I have field work outside of school. 895 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:01,479 Speaker 5: I still have a part time making eleven dollars an hour, 896 00:44:01,520 --> 00:44:05,480 Speaker 5: but with recent management changes, my hours were cut drastically. 897 00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:11,000 Speaker 5: I cannot pay my bills. Lately, I have been seriously depressed. 898 00:44:11,640 --> 00:44:15,520 Speaker 5: I cannot sleep, my stomach is in knots. I am 899 00:44:15,560 --> 00:44:18,600 Speaker 5: constantly worried, having panic attacks. The gym has been the 900 00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:20,200 Speaker 5: only thing helping me cope, but I'm going to have 901 00:44:20,239 --> 00:44:22,840 Speaker 5: to cancel that soon too. I don't even know how 902 00:44:22,840 --> 00:44:25,680 Speaker 5: I'm going to afford gas for school or work next month. 903 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:28,520 Speaker 5: I have not paid my car taxes all year. Creditors 904 00:44:28,520 --> 00:44:31,160 Speaker 5: are calling, mostly for medical bills from surgery last year 905 00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:32,360 Speaker 5: and one credit card. 906 00:44:32,920 --> 00:44:38,799 Speaker 3: Now, Okay, I hate running, but it is free. So if, 907 00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:41,320 Speaker 3: like you know, you want to exercise, and because exercising 908 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:43,319 Speaker 3: every day is important, yeah, makes you feel good. 909 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:45,200 Speaker 5: It's free, but you pay for it with your nees. 910 00:44:45,680 --> 00:44:46,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I personally am running. 911 00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:47,479 Speaker 6: I don't run. 912 00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:50,000 Speaker 3: I walk or I hike, so you can also do that, 913 00:44:50,920 --> 00:44:53,640 Speaker 3: but those are both free free forms. If that's like 914 00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:54,320 Speaker 3: an issue. 915 00:44:54,880 --> 00:44:58,799 Speaker 5: My fiance accuses me of taking advantage of him. He 916 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:01,399 Speaker 5: tells me I have nothing to worry about because he's here, 917 00:45:01,480 --> 00:45:03,799 Speaker 5: But it doesn't come from a place of support. It 918 00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:07,360 Speaker 5: feels more resentful. I do everything I can at home, cleaning, 919 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:10,040 Speaker 5: laundry and all of it, but I cannot afford groceries, 920 00:45:10,080 --> 00:45:12,879 Speaker 5: so we rarely have food in the house. Even when 921 00:45:12,920 --> 00:45:15,799 Speaker 5: I have time to cook, there's nothing to cook. I 922 00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:18,000 Speaker 5: have been applying to other jobs, but no one has 923 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:21,600 Speaker 5: called me back. The silence just increases my anxiety and 924 00:45:21,680 --> 00:45:25,680 Speaker 5: makes me feel even more defeated. Changing jobs would be stressful. 925 00:45:25,719 --> 00:45:28,239 Speaker 5: Staying where I am is stressful, and I have a 926 00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:32,839 Speaker 5: tendency to overextend myself. My fiance does not help. He 927 00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:35,359 Speaker 5: gets meaner the more stressed I get, and he says 928 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:39,960 Speaker 5: really hurtful things. Right now, I just feel worthless, helpless. 929 00:45:40,200 --> 00:45:42,359 Speaker 5: I don't know how we're gonna make it through. I'm 930 00:45:42,360 --> 00:45:44,760 Speaker 5: sorry for the novel, but I guess my question is 931 00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:47,880 Speaker 5: is this normal inter relationship with financial difficulties? Am I 932 00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:50,919 Speaker 5: really taking advantage of him? Like he says? What more 933 00:45:51,320 --> 00:45:54,239 Speaker 5: can I do? Any serious advice on how to fix this? 934 00:45:54,320 --> 00:45:55,880 Speaker 5: And there are comments. 935 00:45:56,120 --> 00:45:59,759 Speaker 3: If your partner right now before you got married, is 936 00:45:59,800 --> 00:46:03,160 Speaker 3: to telling you that you are taking financial advantage of 937 00:46:03,239 --> 00:46:09,360 Speaker 3: him while you're actively unable to even buy food, doesn't 938 00:46:09,360 --> 00:46:12,480 Speaker 3: seem like you're really taking any of his finances. Uh, 939 00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:14,680 Speaker 3: And it's also just being awful and mean to you. 940 00:46:14,719 --> 00:46:16,279 Speaker 3: Probably not a person we want to get married too, 941 00:46:16,640 --> 00:46:19,080 Speaker 3: because when you're married, you're supposed to I mean usually 942 00:46:19,719 --> 00:46:21,200 Speaker 3: split in finances. 943 00:46:21,600 --> 00:46:24,920 Speaker 5: I mean it's it's it really feels like it's like, well, yeah, 944 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:27,239 Speaker 5: if you don't have to worry, I have taken care 945 00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:29,080 Speaker 5: of And then it comes from that place of like, yeah, 946 00:46:29,080 --> 00:46:32,400 Speaker 5: because I'm the man, I have to It's like I suspected, 947 00:46:32,480 --> 00:46:34,239 Speaker 5: but it's like, nah, he just doesn't want to have 948 00:46:34,239 --> 00:46:37,360 Speaker 5: a productive yeah, conversation or context. He just wants to 949 00:46:37,400 --> 00:46:39,600 Speaker 5: have a context where it's like, see, I do everything 950 00:46:39,640 --> 00:46:42,880 Speaker 5: around here, and I pull my weight and it's like 951 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:45,399 Speaker 5: not even buddy, you guys can't afford food. Yeah, so 952 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:47,520 Speaker 5: you're gonna have to sit down and figure out how 953 00:46:47,560 --> 00:46:52,160 Speaker 5: to make it work. You know, what are you yet? What? What? 954 00:46:52,160 --> 00:46:52,759 Speaker 5: What's going on? 955 00:46:52,920 --> 00:46:53,160 Speaker 8: Yeah? 956 00:46:53,239 --> 00:46:56,719 Speaker 3: If she's taking financial advantage of you and can't eat, 957 00:46:57,400 --> 00:46:58,960 Speaker 3: you're not really making a lot of money. 958 00:46:58,960 --> 00:47:03,600 Speaker 5: Bud comments. Marriage is supposed to be a partnership, and 959 00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:07,200 Speaker 5: the engagement period is like a trial run for that partnership, 960 00:47:07,560 --> 00:47:09,839 Speaker 5: since something like planning a wedding together is among one 961 00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:13,080 Speaker 5: of the more stressful experiences a couple faces. I'm not 962 00:47:13,120 --> 00:47:15,359 Speaker 5: reading much that leads me to thank you to our 963 00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:17,960 Speaker 5: inn a partnership. I mean, you're going to school full 964 00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:20,600 Speaker 5: time in hopes of securing a degree that will exponentially 965 00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:24,880 Speaker 5: increase your earning potential post graduation. You will both benefit 966 00:47:24,880 --> 00:47:26,959 Speaker 5: from that, So it seems to me that he could 967 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:29,799 Speaker 5: be more supportive with a little less of the begrudging 968 00:47:29,880 --> 00:47:33,160 Speaker 5: part and a lot less of the meanness. I just 969 00:47:33,239 --> 00:47:35,880 Speaker 5: really see the absence of any true sense of partnership 970 00:47:35,920 --> 00:47:38,560 Speaker 5: in what you have written, and I find that worrisome 971 00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:41,000 Speaker 5: in a couple planning to be married. My husband and 972 00:47:41,040 --> 00:47:43,840 Speaker 5: I have both faced layoffs and the ensuing periods of 973 00:47:43,880 --> 00:47:47,600 Speaker 5: unemployment in the last fifteen years. He was laid off 974 00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:50,359 Speaker 5: for twenty three months right after nine to eleven because 975 00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:54,120 Speaker 5: his industry tanked. But we are partners, so any bills 976 00:47:54,120 --> 00:47:57,799 Speaker 5: were our bills, any expenses were our expenses, and any 977 00:47:57,840 --> 00:48:00,760 Speaker 5: income was our income. Would you turn into a petty 978 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:04,239 Speaker 5: tyrant if he were laid off? Probably not, So why 979 00:48:04,280 --> 00:48:06,839 Speaker 5: is it acceptable for him to act that way? I 980 00:48:06,880 --> 00:48:09,440 Speaker 5: agree with another user who has a great name, by 981 00:48:09,440 --> 00:48:13,160 Speaker 5: the way, nefarious Mango, you two need couples counseling. You 982 00:48:13,200 --> 00:48:16,040 Speaker 5: guys have to work these issues out before you get married, 983 00:48:16,280 --> 00:48:18,560 Speaker 5: otherwise you're going to be here posting about how you're 984 00:48:18,560 --> 00:48:23,400 Speaker 5: considering divorcing your new husband. Another comment replies, you sound 985 00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:25,760 Speaker 5: like you're working hard and have fallen on tough times. 986 00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:28,920 Speaker 5: I would be really surprised if my financially stable boyfriend 987 00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:31,720 Speaker 5: of five years was freaking out like this. You're obviously 988 00:48:31,719 --> 00:48:34,480 Speaker 5: trying to fix the situation. How much more school do 989 00:48:34,520 --> 00:48:37,680 Speaker 5: you have left? I hope he stops being selfish and 990 00:48:37,719 --> 00:48:40,440 Speaker 5: gives you a little respect and support while you get 991 00:48:40,440 --> 00:48:43,120 Speaker 5: back on your feet. I would understand his position if 992 00:48:43,160 --> 00:48:46,840 Speaker 5: you had squandered your money on substances or gambling and 993 00:48:46,880 --> 00:48:49,560 Speaker 5: had no interest in a job or school, but that 994 00:48:49,760 --> 00:48:53,719 Speaker 5: is clearly not the case. This guy sounds like a 995 00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:58,920 Speaker 5: real JERKARONI hope he says no substances or gambling For me, 996 00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:01,839 Speaker 5: I barely even drink. I have three years of school left, 997 00:49:01,840 --> 00:49:03,399 Speaker 5: and then I will be able to get a job 998 00:49:03,440 --> 00:49:06,000 Speaker 5: as a math teacher, which are in high demand in 999 00:49:06,000 --> 00:49:09,000 Speaker 5: my area. And we do have an update, let's. 1000 00:49:08,920 --> 00:49:11,120 Speaker 3: Just get into it. I want to see if there's 1001 00:49:11,200 --> 00:49:15,320 Speaker 3: any change or if this is just heading towards a cliff. 1002 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:20,200 Speaker 5: I am so lost. I'm wondering if I should stay 1003 00:49:20,360 --> 00:49:24,480 Speaker 5: or if I go. Here's what's going on. I got 1004 00:49:24,480 --> 00:49:27,080 Speaker 5: a job bartending on weekends, forty five minutes from home. 1005 00:49:27,160 --> 00:49:29,040 Speaker 5: It is a bar I used to work at, and honestly, 1006 00:49:29,080 --> 00:49:31,600 Speaker 5: I'm pretty happy to be back. The only downside is 1007 00:49:31,600 --> 00:49:34,000 Speaker 5: the long drive, especially at three in the morning. I've 1008 00:49:34,040 --> 00:49:35,840 Speaker 5: been there for maybe five weeks now. It is a 1009 00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:38,840 Speaker 5: huge shift in income since I work Friday and Saturday nights. 1010 00:49:39,080 --> 00:49:41,520 Speaker 5: I have never made this much money in so little time. 1011 00:49:41,880 --> 00:49:45,080 Speaker 5: I finally feel like things are turning around. I started 1012 00:49:45,120 --> 00:49:47,440 Speaker 5: to feel really good. I am so close to catching 1013 00:49:47,480 --> 00:49:49,520 Speaker 5: up on my bills in medical debt and taxes, etc. 1014 00:49:50,120 --> 00:49:52,120 Speaker 5: I figured my fiance would be proud of me and 1015 00:49:52,160 --> 00:49:54,279 Speaker 5: happy that I'm getting my life in order. I want 1016 00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:56,040 Speaker 5: to enter this marriage debt free, and I thought he 1017 00:49:56,040 --> 00:49:59,200 Speaker 5: would appreciate that. Today's my first day off in a 1018 00:49:59,239 --> 00:50:02,080 Speaker 5: long time. Being a full time student and working two 1019 00:50:02,160 --> 00:50:05,000 Speaker 5: jobs is exhausting. I was planning to do a little 1020 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:08,200 Speaker 5: birthday shopping for him and then get groceries the house. 1021 00:50:08,560 --> 00:50:11,440 Speaker 5: His house has been reminding me of that a lot lately, 1022 00:50:11,480 --> 00:50:14,839 Speaker 5: which yes, he bought it, but it still hurts. It 1023 00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:17,680 Speaker 5: was already clean. I had already stayed up until two 1024 00:50:17,719 --> 00:50:20,440 Speaker 5: am the other night scrubbing it. I was planning to 1025 00:50:20,480 --> 00:50:23,160 Speaker 5: cook him dinner and maybe finally enjoy some quality time. 1026 00:50:23,400 --> 00:50:26,520 Speaker 5: It's like I never see him anymore, and then this happened. 1027 00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:29,799 Speaker 5: He's been acting really resentful today. I told him how 1028 00:50:29,880 --> 00:50:33,320 Speaker 5: much I made this weekend, thinking he would be proud. Instead, 1029 00:50:33,640 --> 00:50:34,759 Speaker 5: he lost it. 1030 00:50:35,080 --> 00:50:37,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, this isn't a relationship that can continue. 1031 00:50:37,440 --> 00:50:40,680 Speaker 5: And it's time to break breakup. Yeah. 1032 00:50:40,719 --> 00:50:44,880 Speaker 3: If he's acting mean when you're financially not stable, and 1033 00:50:45,040 --> 00:50:47,520 Speaker 3: he's acting mean when you are, then there's just nothing. 1034 00:50:47,560 --> 00:50:49,000 Speaker 3: There's nothing to this relationship. 1035 00:50:49,040 --> 00:50:52,160 Speaker 5: Time to break up, full on rage. When I said 1036 00:50:52,200 --> 00:50:54,480 Speaker 5: the money was going towards my debt and a little 1037 00:50:54,520 --> 00:50:56,600 Speaker 5: into my personal savings just so I would have some 1038 00:50:56,640 --> 00:51:00,400 Speaker 5: emergency money. I had nothing before this, I did not 1039 00:51:00,480 --> 00:51:02,640 Speaker 5: think that was unreasonable. Please tell me if it is 1040 00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:06,240 Speaker 5: not what we had talked about this when I started 1041 00:51:06,239 --> 00:51:08,120 Speaker 5: the job again, I told him I just needed two 1042 00:51:08,120 --> 00:51:10,960 Speaker 5: months to catch up and then I would start contributing again. 1043 00:51:11,239 --> 00:51:13,360 Speaker 5: But he's screaming to me about how I take advantage 1044 00:51:13,400 --> 00:51:15,799 Speaker 5: of him, how I will never pay bills again, how 1045 00:51:15,840 --> 00:51:19,120 Speaker 5: I don't appreciate him. He accused me of not respecting 1046 00:51:19,200 --> 00:51:21,600 Speaker 5: him or caring about his feelings, and he told me 1047 00:51:21,640 --> 00:51:24,960 Speaker 5: to get out of his house. I think this This 1048 00:51:25,080 --> 00:51:29,040 Speaker 5: guy honestly just sounds like he's he sees down the 1049 00:51:29,080 --> 00:51:31,880 Speaker 5: pipeline that you're gonna finish your degree and end up 1050 00:51:31,880 --> 00:51:34,120 Speaker 5: with a job in a field that probably makes more 1051 00:51:34,160 --> 00:51:37,680 Speaker 5: money than him, and he's getting preemptive insecure. 1052 00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:40,759 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, I think he's trying to get you to 1053 00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:44,680 Speaker 3: feel like you are indebted to him, even though he's 1054 00:51:44,719 --> 00:51:47,520 Speaker 3: not really supporting you in any way. 1055 00:51:48,120 --> 00:51:53,360 Speaker 5: Yeah, unbelievable. Edit. Would you consider this emotional or yeah? 1056 00:51:53,880 --> 00:51:57,440 Speaker 5: Already I'm saying yes, yep. He got me so worked up, 1057 00:51:57,480 --> 00:52:00,879 Speaker 5: and then he mocked me for crying and having panic attacks. Yep. 1058 00:52:00,960 --> 00:52:03,719 Speaker 5: I ended up screaming just to release the frustration. He 1059 00:52:03,760 --> 00:52:05,879 Speaker 5: would not let me speak, and when I finally did, 1060 00:52:05,920 --> 00:52:09,520 Speaker 5: he completely disregarded everything I said and kept ranting. Then 1061 00:52:09,560 --> 00:52:11,319 Speaker 5: he called me crazy and said he would call the 1062 00:52:11,320 --> 00:52:13,920 Speaker 5: police to take me out of his house. It's beyond time. 1063 00:52:14,880 --> 00:52:18,440 Speaker 5: Your life will be better, so much better, you know. 1064 00:52:18,600 --> 00:52:21,279 Speaker 5: Maybe talk to some of your coworkers at the bar, 1065 00:52:21,320 --> 00:52:23,520 Speaker 5: see if anybody knows anyone who's looking for a roommate. 1066 00:52:23,560 --> 00:52:25,760 Speaker 5: The quick place that you can go to a couch 1067 00:52:25,840 --> 00:52:28,319 Speaker 5: to crash on in the interim, But yeah, get out 1068 00:52:28,320 --> 00:52:32,319 Speaker 5: of his house. Please leave, get out. I'm seriously freaking out. 1069 00:52:32,680 --> 00:52:34,920 Speaker 5: I've been having hardcore pantic attacks and I'm shaking so 1070 00:52:34,960 --> 00:52:37,040 Speaker 5: bad I can't even get out of bed. I don't 1071 00:52:37,040 --> 00:52:40,240 Speaker 5: know what's wrong with me lately. I think this relationship, 1072 00:52:40,600 --> 00:52:43,520 Speaker 5: but I've been getting intense urges to hurt myself. I 1073 00:52:43,600 --> 00:52:46,520 Speaker 5: don't want to. But after he left for work, Okay, 1074 00:52:46,520 --> 00:52:48,439 Speaker 5: I'm just skipping over that. He told me to leave 1075 00:52:48,560 --> 00:52:50,719 Speaker 5: and I don't have the energy to move. I'm not 1076 00:52:50,800 --> 00:52:52,799 Speaker 5: ready to give up on us. No, no, no, no, no, 1077 00:52:52,880 --> 00:52:54,399 Speaker 5: there is no r you are. 1078 00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:57,440 Speaker 3: There's us when any of these urges, when you were 1079 00:52:57,440 --> 00:53:00,959 Speaker 3: feeling this way, when you're feeling depressed being with him, 1080 00:53:01,480 --> 00:53:04,960 Speaker 3: when you were doing so well in other areas. Finally, 1081 00:53:05,400 --> 00:53:07,719 Speaker 3: like you had this whole period where you weren't doing well, 1082 00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:10,879 Speaker 3: feeling out awful, and now you're back up. He's made 1083 00:53:10,880 --> 00:53:11,640 Speaker 3: you feel awful. 1084 00:53:12,480 --> 00:53:13,040 Speaker 6: Leave him. 1085 00:53:13,560 --> 00:53:16,080 Speaker 3: He's the only element of your life that's making you 1086 00:53:16,120 --> 00:53:16,800 Speaker 3: feel awful. 1087 00:53:17,160 --> 00:53:19,680 Speaker 5: Yeah, he told me to leave. I don't have the 1088 00:53:19,800 --> 00:53:21,480 Speaker 5: energy to move, and I'm not ready to give up 1089 00:53:21,520 --> 00:53:23,839 Speaker 5: on us. When things are good, they're really good. Is 1090 00:53:23,880 --> 00:53:26,319 Speaker 5: this my fault? Should I leave? Its fault? It's not 1091 00:53:26,400 --> 00:53:30,320 Speaker 5: your fault. Leave and you should leave Lee. 1092 00:53:31,040 --> 00:53:33,799 Speaker 3: He is making you feel awful about yourself when you 1093 00:53:33,840 --> 00:53:36,600 Speaker 3: are doing well, and that is. 1094 00:53:36,560 --> 00:53:39,279 Speaker 5: The end of that story. Hey y'all, it's John og 1095 00:53:39,400 --> 00:53:39,799 Speaker 5: Host here. 1096 00:53:39,800 --> 00:53:41,200 Speaker 1: We're gonna get back to the stories, but here's a 1097 00:53:41,239 --> 00:53:43,120 Speaker 1: quick three minute break from as for more sponsors. 1098 00:53:43,440 --> 00:53:46,840 Speaker 6: My friend made me realize I was just her therapist, 1099 00:53:47,239 --> 00:53:50,520 Speaker 6: not her friend. Oh no, she should get a therapist 1100 00:53:50,560 --> 00:53:50,759 Speaker 6: for that. 1101 00:53:51,120 --> 00:53:51,359 Speaker 5: Yep. 1102 00:53:52,120 --> 00:53:54,720 Speaker 6: I have female twenty six. I met Juliette female twenty 1103 00:53:54,719 --> 00:53:57,920 Speaker 6: seven in twenty twenty at a healthcare facility when we 1104 00:53:57,920 --> 00:54:00,960 Speaker 6: were both at a low point. I'm extreme introverted with 1105 00:54:01,000 --> 00:54:05,320 Speaker 6: a strong, resting witch face, but she noticed my favorite 1106 00:54:05,360 --> 00:54:08,840 Speaker 6: game on my clothing and we connected. We were trauma bonded, 1107 00:54:08,920 --> 00:54:12,000 Speaker 6: a term she always denied, believing it's only negative, while 1108 00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:14,640 Speaker 6: I argued it could be a pathway to friendship. By 1109 00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:17,640 Speaker 6: the way, this comes from money. Try thirty eight seventy 1110 00:54:17,680 --> 00:54:19,400 Speaker 6: six And if you want to submit your own stories, 1111 00:54:19,480 --> 00:54:23,360 Speaker 6: go to the r slash Okay storytime Separreddit and I'm Angie. 1112 00:54:23,040 --> 00:54:24,920 Speaker 3: I'm Carly, and we're here to give. 1113 00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:27,440 Speaker 6: Good advice goofully, but we don't have all the answers 1114 00:54:27,480 --> 00:54:29,360 Speaker 6: We're just gonna guess what we would do in this situation, 1115 00:54:29,600 --> 00:54:31,240 Speaker 6: but let us know what you would do in the comments, 1116 00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:35,200 Speaker 6: so Opie says. After the facility, we became long distance friends, 1117 00:54:35,239 --> 00:54:37,719 Speaker 6: living an hour apart by train. In twenty twenty one, 1118 00:54:37,840 --> 00:54:41,359 Speaker 6: she became friends with Mikey female twenty five. Although Mikey 1119 00:54:41,440 --> 00:54:44,920 Speaker 6: and I never met, Juliette insisted on introducing us, believing 1120 00:54:44,960 --> 00:54:47,440 Speaker 6: her two best friends were too similar not to connect. 1121 00:54:47,640 --> 00:54:50,480 Speaker 6: In twenty twenty four, Mikey and I finally met, and 1122 00:54:50,520 --> 00:54:53,720 Speaker 6: the connection was instant. It was like finding a puzzle piece. 1123 00:54:53,760 --> 00:54:56,320 Speaker 6: I didn't know I was missing a twin flame connection, 1124 00:54:56,680 --> 00:54:59,160 Speaker 6: which we still laugh about because of how alike we are. 1125 00:54:59,320 --> 00:55:02,320 Speaker 6: We started a group chat and updated each other almost daily. 1126 00:55:02,440 --> 00:55:06,080 Speaker 6: My frustrations with Juliette began even before I met Mikey. 1127 00:55:06,400 --> 00:55:09,400 Speaker 6: We are very different people, which isn't inherently bad, but 1128 00:55:09,440 --> 00:55:12,960 Speaker 6: I constantly went beyond my own boundaries to support her. 1129 00:55:13,120 --> 00:55:16,319 Speaker 6: Juliette texts every day as she doesn't work or go 1130 00:55:16,360 --> 00:55:20,000 Speaker 6: to school for personal reasons. In contrast, I've been working 1131 00:55:20,000 --> 00:55:22,520 Speaker 6: in healthcare since twenty seventeen and I am currently a 1132 00:55:22,520 --> 00:55:25,680 Speaker 6: social worker who is also attending school. Privately, I work 1133 00:55:25,719 --> 00:55:28,680 Speaker 6: forty plus hours on a twenty four hour contract, often 1134 00:55:28,800 --> 00:55:32,319 Speaker 6: cramming school work between shifts, including night shifts. Anyone in 1135 00:55:32,400 --> 00:55:35,480 Speaker 6: healthcare knows how chaotic and trading it can be. Sometimes, 1136 00:55:35,600 --> 00:55:38,960 Speaker 6: because I'm not an active social media user and genuinely 1137 00:55:39,000 --> 00:55:42,239 Speaker 6: disliked daily texting, some days I couldn't respond immediately. I 1138 00:55:42,280 --> 00:55:44,839 Speaker 6: often told her, Hey, I'm working right now, I'll read 1139 00:55:44,880 --> 00:55:48,400 Speaker 6: slash respond when I can. Juliette never liked late responses. 1140 00:55:48,440 --> 00:55:53,160 Speaker 6: Despite me explaining my situation a million times. Her daily texts, 1141 00:55:53,239 --> 00:55:55,760 Speaker 6: whether in the group chat or privately, were the first 1142 00:55:55,920 --> 00:55:59,480 Speaker 6: boundary she crossed. Juliette can also be very insecure. She 1143 00:55:59,560 --> 00:56:03,160 Speaker 6: always to me with issues feeling unwell, not knowing how 1144 00:56:03,160 --> 00:56:06,920 Speaker 6: to manage minor injuries, navigating her boyfriend's issues who cheated 1145 00:56:07,120 --> 00:56:10,839 Speaker 6: multiple times, or being or feeling burnt out from two 1146 00:56:10,880 --> 00:56:14,399 Speaker 6: appointments and a four hour volunteer shift in a single week. 1147 00:56:14,640 --> 00:56:18,239 Speaker 6: I always listened, offered comfort, gave advice, and helped her 1148 00:56:18,440 --> 00:56:21,960 Speaker 6: navigate being an adult. However, ninety percent of the time, 1149 00:56:22,080 --> 00:56:25,520 Speaker 6: she ignored everything we discussed and did her own thing. 1150 00:56:25,760 --> 00:56:29,520 Speaker 6: The cycle would then repeat her issues, me helping her 1151 00:56:29,560 --> 00:56:32,560 Speaker 6: ignoring and back to the issues again. I told Juliette 1152 00:56:32,600 --> 00:56:35,279 Speaker 6: countless times that I don't get angry easily, but I 1153 00:56:35,320 --> 00:56:38,239 Speaker 6: do get angry when someone ignores me during a conflict. 1154 00:56:38,520 --> 00:56:41,759 Speaker 6: I'm big on communication. If something I said or did 1155 00:56:41,840 --> 00:56:43,960 Speaker 6: hurt her, I need to know so I can apologize 1156 00:56:44,040 --> 00:56:47,560 Speaker 6: or explain. When she felt wronged, she would go silent. 1157 00:56:47,920 --> 00:56:51,000 Speaker 6: Every time this happened. She expected me to notice and 1158 00:56:51,120 --> 00:56:52,960 Speaker 6: be the one to ask what was wrong. It was 1159 00:56:53,000 --> 00:56:54,839 Speaker 6: always a struggle to get her to talk about it, 1160 00:56:54,920 --> 00:56:58,800 Speaker 6: often days or weeks after the fact, interspersed with small, passive, 1161 00:56:58,800 --> 00:57:02,200 Speaker 6: aggressive updates on So I'm a student and a young 1162 00:57:02,239 --> 00:57:04,840 Speaker 6: person working in a demanding field. I did not always 1163 00:57:04,880 --> 00:57:07,320 Speaker 6: have the energy to deal with this. When I was home, 1164 00:57:07,400 --> 00:57:10,239 Speaker 6: I wanted to be me, not social worker me, but 1165 00:57:10,560 --> 00:57:14,440 Speaker 6: I couldn't be. Subconsciously, I was always walking on eggshells, 1166 00:57:14,560 --> 00:57:17,400 Speaker 6: dreading the next text from juliet These are just a 1167 00:57:17,440 --> 00:57:20,720 Speaker 6: few examples. It wasn't all negative, but the good times 1168 00:57:20,760 --> 00:57:24,400 Speaker 6: were unfortunately rare. Everything came to a head this August. 1169 00:57:24,720 --> 00:57:27,960 Speaker 6: Mikey and I have birthdays only thirteen days apart. While 1170 00:57:28,000 --> 00:57:31,080 Speaker 6: I never celebrate mine, Mikey does. So I packed up 1171 00:57:31,120 --> 00:57:33,760 Speaker 6: and headed to their city. Juliet and Mikey live in 1172 00:57:33,760 --> 00:57:37,560 Speaker 6: the same building. The weekend started poorly. Juliette was already 1173 00:57:37,560 --> 00:57:40,840 Speaker 6: at Mike's apartment and crying the entire time. She was 1174 00:57:40,920 --> 00:57:44,440 Speaker 6: upset because she confronted her boyfriend about who he was 1175 00:57:44,480 --> 00:57:47,760 Speaker 6: texting because he was being evasive about it, and he 1176 00:57:47,800 --> 00:57:51,480 Speaker 6: called her paranoid. Her woe is me behavior lasted the 1177 00:57:51,640 --> 00:57:56,120 Speaker 6: entire weekend. When I arrived, things seemed okay. We exchanged 1178 00:57:56,160 --> 00:57:59,520 Speaker 6: gifts and planned the evening, Mikey and I wanting wine 1179 00:57:59,640 --> 00:58:02,840 Speaker 6: with our who she drank. Juliette opted not to, though 1180 00:58:03,080 --> 00:58:06,479 Speaker 6: slightly buzzed from a challenge. Mikey and I constantly checked 1181 00:58:06,480 --> 00:58:09,280 Speaker 6: in on Juliette, encouraging her to eat, asking if she 1182 00:58:09,360 --> 00:58:13,000 Speaker 6: wanted to watch anything, involving her in our conversations, checking 1183 00:58:13,080 --> 00:58:15,560 Speaker 6: in on her emotionally, and trying to make her laugh. 1184 00:58:15,680 --> 00:58:17,800 Speaker 6: She just said she was okay and wanted to do 1185 00:58:17,840 --> 00:58:20,000 Speaker 6: her own thing. She played a game on her phone 1186 00:58:20,120 --> 00:58:22,160 Speaker 6: all night and went to bed at like eleven or 1187 00:58:22,200 --> 00:58:25,120 Speaker 6: twelve pm, claving that she was tired. Mike and I 1188 00:58:25,160 --> 00:58:28,720 Speaker 6: went to bed shortly after, subconsciously drained by her energy. 1189 00:58:28,880 --> 00:58:32,280 Speaker 6: The next morning, the energy shift was palpable. I'm not 1190 00:58:32,400 --> 00:58:34,200 Speaker 6: a morning person, but I was excited to be with 1191 00:58:34,240 --> 00:58:38,280 Speaker 6: my friends instead. I immediately wanted to go home. While 1192 00:58:38,280 --> 00:58:41,439 Speaker 6: I was showering, Juliette complained to Mikey about feeling left 1193 00:58:41,440 --> 00:58:45,040 Speaker 6: out the night before. Mikey apologized, but Juliette never told 1194 00:58:45,040 --> 00:58:48,600 Speaker 6: me this directly. That afternoon, while grocery shopping, Juliette was 1195 00:58:48,640 --> 00:58:51,440 Speaker 6: back in her sad mood. I checked in, but she 1196 00:58:51,600 --> 00:58:56,320 Speaker 6: insisted she was fine. At that moment, I was simply done. 1197 00:58:56,600 --> 00:59:00,800 Speaker 6: I was exhausted, emotionally drained from constantly being social worker 1198 00:59:00,880 --> 00:59:04,280 Speaker 6: me for juliet and trying to be present for Mikey's birthday. 1199 00:59:04,440 --> 00:59:08,120 Speaker 6: We shopped in uncomfortable silence and returned to Mikey's apartment. 1200 00:59:08,240 --> 00:59:11,440 Speaker 6: I cooked for everyone except Juliette, who wasn't hungry, and 1201 00:59:11,480 --> 00:59:15,080 Speaker 6: did the dishes, including Juliette's dishes from baking a pie. 1202 00:59:15,160 --> 00:59:19,200 Speaker 6: She's not generally hygenic. Though I didn't complain. The thing 1203 00:59:19,280 --> 00:59:21,880 Speaker 6: that made me actually lose it was that her woe 1204 00:59:21,960 --> 00:59:25,400 Speaker 6: is me behavior didn't stop. At the party. She complained 1205 00:59:25,440 --> 00:59:28,320 Speaker 6: about being tired and broken from the fight with her 1206 00:59:28,320 --> 00:59:32,240 Speaker 6: boyfriend while Mikey's friends were in earshot. She left after 1207 00:59:32,400 --> 00:59:36,000 Speaker 6: only an hour. Meanwhile, I, with a social battery the 1208 00:59:36,000 --> 00:59:39,600 Speaker 6: size of an actual triple a battery, stayed the entire time, 1209 00:59:39,800 --> 00:59:44,000 Speaker 6: conversed with Mikey's friends and took care of Mikey because 1210 00:59:44,040 --> 00:59:46,840 Speaker 6: it was her birthday party. Around two am, I found 1211 00:59:46,960 --> 00:59:50,400 Speaker 6: Mikey crying in her bedroom with a friend. I comforted 1212 00:59:50,440 --> 00:59:52,680 Speaker 6: her and then started cleaning up the party because most 1213 00:59:52,680 --> 00:59:55,560 Speaker 6: people already left or were leaving. When Mikey came out 1214 00:59:55,640 --> 00:59:58,480 Speaker 6: after her friend left, we hugged and collapsed into each other. 1215 00:59:58,840 --> 01:00:01,720 Speaker 6: We went to the balcony around three am to talk. 1216 01:00:01,960 --> 01:00:05,919 Speaker 6: Mikey burst out, saying Juliette was the trigger for most 1217 01:00:05,920 --> 01:00:10,040 Speaker 6: of her frustration. Mikey was drained by Juliette before I arrived, 1218 01:00:10,320 --> 01:00:13,040 Speaker 6: and they both felt like they were constantly caring for her. 1219 01:00:13,240 --> 01:00:17,120 Speaker 6: Her breaking point was Juliette leaving her party. We talked 1220 01:00:17,240 --> 01:00:20,840 Speaker 6: for three hours. Mike and I had never texted privately, 1221 01:00:21,000 --> 01:00:24,360 Speaker 6: only in the group chat. We realized our energy always 1222 01:00:24,360 --> 01:00:27,600 Speaker 6: depended on Juliette's mood and that we constantly accommodated her. 1223 01:00:27,760 --> 01:00:30,440 Speaker 6: We noticed that we could never talk about our shared 1224 01:00:30,480 --> 01:00:33,920 Speaker 6: interests for even a minute without Juliette pouting or throwing 1225 01:00:34,000 --> 01:00:36,680 Speaker 6: a tantrum because she feared we would be closer to 1226 01:00:36,720 --> 01:00:39,640 Speaker 6: each other than her. Mikey also asked if Juliette had 1227 01:00:39,640 --> 01:00:42,760 Speaker 6: ever visited my place. I said that in five years, 1228 01:00:43,160 --> 01:00:45,640 Speaker 6: I had come to their city every couple of months, 1229 01:00:45,880 --> 01:00:49,200 Speaker 6: but she never came to mind. It was always a 1230 01:00:49,200 --> 01:00:53,720 Speaker 6: different excuse, finance time, fear of new cities, or train travel. 1231 01:00:54,200 --> 01:00:56,800 Speaker 6: I would offer comfort or even pay for her ticket, 1232 01:00:56,840 --> 01:01:00,720 Speaker 6: but she always found another excuse. We started an things 1233 01:01:00,720 --> 01:01:04,000 Speaker 6: more clearly. Juliette only ever came to me with problems. 1234 01:01:04,320 --> 01:01:07,920 Speaker 6: The moment we argued, she would private message Mikey. Mikey 1235 01:01:08,080 --> 01:01:10,800 Speaker 6: noticed Juliette was possessive of me and jealous of how 1236 01:01:10,880 --> 01:01:15,160 Speaker 6: quickly Mikey and I bonded. We always, and I mean always, 1237 01:01:15,400 --> 01:01:18,640 Speaker 6: did everything she liked, talked about the things that she enjoyed, 1238 01:01:18,880 --> 01:01:22,200 Speaker 6: were cordial with her boyfriend, comforted her when needed. But 1239 01:01:22,280 --> 01:01:25,760 Speaker 6: we could never talk to each other without Juliette trying 1240 01:01:25,800 --> 01:01:29,120 Speaker 6: to victimize herself, being afraid that we would leave her behind. 1241 01:01:29,240 --> 01:01:32,160 Speaker 6: Because this happened every time she introduced her friends to 1242 01:01:32,160 --> 01:01:35,280 Speaker 6: each other, always pulling this card. This is so exhaust 1243 01:01:35,320 --> 01:01:39,960 Speaker 6: I'm exhausted for you. Right, even reading this is crazy. 1244 01:01:41,280 --> 01:01:44,000 Speaker 6: It's just like you really can't do anything with this 1245 01:01:44,080 --> 01:01:45,160 Speaker 6: type of person. 1246 01:01:45,480 --> 01:01:49,040 Speaker 7: But at all, they usually don't change. I feel like, yeah, 1247 01:01:49,040 --> 01:01:51,520 Speaker 7: I just have to exactly bond from it. 1248 01:01:51,920 --> 01:01:55,560 Speaker 6: Yeah, totally. I mean even with like you know, you 1249 01:01:55,680 --> 01:01:58,680 Speaker 6: not responding to texts right away, it's like, well, that 1250 01:01:58,840 --> 01:02:00,960 Speaker 6: just kind of happens when one person is busier than 1251 01:02:01,000 --> 01:02:04,800 Speaker 6: the other, and just different texting styles too. But then 1252 01:02:05,520 --> 01:02:07,920 Speaker 6: all of this like victimizing stuff, it seems like she 1253 01:02:07,960 --> 01:02:11,520 Speaker 6: has no ability to self soothe, and so it's just 1254 01:02:11,560 --> 01:02:14,160 Speaker 6: like she has all these emotions, she doesn't know what 1255 01:02:14,200 --> 01:02:17,200 Speaker 6: to do with them, and so she just like that's 1256 01:02:17,200 --> 01:02:20,960 Speaker 6: her way of getting attention. And it's very frustrating because 1257 01:02:21,560 --> 01:02:22,560 Speaker 6: it's too exhausting. 1258 01:02:22,880 --> 01:02:23,919 Speaker 3: No, it's way too much. 1259 01:02:23,960 --> 01:02:26,560 Speaker 7: And then to like keep you and Mikey from being 1260 01:02:26,640 --> 01:02:29,800 Speaker 7: able to have a friendship outside of her is just like, right, 1261 01:02:29,840 --> 01:02:30,560 Speaker 7: it's just not good. 1262 01:02:30,720 --> 01:02:33,000 Speaker 6: It's like, well, if you want to keep a friendship 1263 01:02:33,000 --> 01:02:35,800 Speaker 6: and like be closer with someone because you're so jealous 1264 01:02:35,840 --> 01:02:38,000 Speaker 6: of other people being close, then maybe put in efforts 1265 01:02:38,000 --> 01:02:38,880 Speaker 6: to that relationship. 1266 01:02:40,760 --> 01:02:41,080 Speaker 5: Yeah. 1267 01:02:41,600 --> 01:02:45,960 Speaker 6: After three hours of talking, I cracked and cried. I 1268 01:02:46,000 --> 01:02:48,360 Speaker 6: had the realization that Juliette made me feel like I 1269 01:02:48,440 --> 01:02:51,800 Speaker 6: was talking to my mother, always walking on eggshells, being 1270 01:02:51,840 --> 01:02:55,560 Speaker 6: a therapist instead of a friend, constantly having my boundaries crossed, 1271 01:02:55,600 --> 01:02:59,160 Speaker 6: and helping her be a functional adult while struggling myself. 1272 01:02:59,360 --> 01:03:02,040 Speaker 6: My key share had similar feelings, and after another hour 1273 01:03:02,160 --> 01:03:06,439 Speaker 6: we went to bed at seven am. Wow. Juliette woke 1274 01:03:06,520 --> 01:03:10,080 Speaker 6: us up at eleven am by walking into Mikey's apartment. 1275 01:03:10,360 --> 01:03:13,480 Speaker 6: She had a key for emergencies, as me already stating 1276 01:03:13,520 --> 01:03:15,640 Speaker 6: that I am not a morning person and seeing her 1277 01:03:15,760 --> 01:03:19,080 Speaker 6: first thing was not a good combination. Yeah, after spending 1278 01:03:19,120 --> 01:03:22,040 Speaker 6: the whole night talking about how much she sucks, I 1279 01:03:22,080 --> 01:03:25,600 Speaker 6: just need a break and yeah, good morning. After sleeping 1280 01:03:25,640 --> 01:03:29,800 Speaker 6: for four hours, like, oh my goodness, I was so 1281 01:03:29,960 --> 01:03:33,160 Speaker 6: drained that I started packing to go home. Almost no 1282 01:03:33,280 --> 01:03:35,480 Speaker 6: words were exchanged before they dropped me off at the 1283 01:03:35,480 --> 01:03:38,959 Speaker 6: train station. Apparently Mikey and Juliette had an argument after 1284 01:03:39,000 --> 01:03:41,680 Speaker 6: I boarded the train, but Juliette left thinking that it 1285 01:03:41,760 --> 01:03:46,200 Speaker 6: was resolved. I arrived home, collapsed, and slept for many hours. 1286 01:03:46,520 --> 01:03:48,720 Speaker 6: I stayed silent for a couple of days to rearrange 1287 01:03:48,720 --> 01:03:51,920 Speaker 6: my thoughts and assess the friendship, knowing if I spoke 1288 01:03:52,000 --> 01:03:55,280 Speaker 6: then I would be mean. A week later, Juliette asked 1289 01:03:55,320 --> 01:03:58,080 Speaker 6: to call me, and I agreed. She asked why I 1290 01:03:58,200 --> 01:04:01,000 Speaker 6: was silent and if she had done anything. I listened, 1291 01:04:01,200 --> 01:04:04,760 Speaker 6: then calmly explained to my realization that after five years, 1292 01:04:05,120 --> 01:04:07,480 Speaker 6: she didn't know me and that I was never her 1293 01:04:07,480 --> 01:04:10,840 Speaker 6: friend but her social worker. I never minded helping, but 1294 01:04:10,880 --> 01:04:13,360 Speaker 6: I felt like I wasn't allowed to struggle when she 1295 01:04:13,480 --> 01:04:16,200 Speaker 6: was struggling. She said she did know me, that I 1296 01:04:16,320 --> 01:04:19,280 Speaker 6: was her scary dog friend who is a confident woman 1297 01:04:19,280 --> 01:04:22,160 Speaker 6: and no longer struggles with things. Maybe thinks she no 1298 01:04:22,240 --> 01:04:26,360 Speaker 6: longer struggles with things because you always take the spotlight. 1299 01:04:26,200 --> 01:04:28,120 Speaker 3: Because of exactly what she just told you. 1300 01:04:28,360 --> 01:04:32,160 Speaker 6: Yeah, never allowed to struggle with things, right. I broke 1301 01:04:32,240 --> 01:04:35,240 Speaker 6: down crying for the first time in our friendship, explaining 1302 01:04:35,240 --> 01:04:38,240 Speaker 6: that she just proved my point. Yeah, exactly. I asked 1303 01:04:38,240 --> 01:04:42,680 Speaker 6: if she knew I loved dresses, makeup, museums, rom coms, 1304 01:04:42,760 --> 01:04:46,080 Speaker 6: One Piece, Lord of the Rings, and music like Hosier 1305 01:04:46,120 --> 01:04:49,040 Speaker 6: and Florence than the Machine, that I still struggle with 1306 01:04:49,080 --> 01:04:52,960 Speaker 6: my looks, or that I'm academically insecure, that I'm actually 1307 01:04:53,080 --> 01:04:56,320 Speaker 6: really soft hearted person by nature, she stayed silent during 1308 01:04:56,320 --> 01:04:58,760 Speaker 6: all of this. I told her all of these things. 1309 01:04:58,840 --> 01:05:01,840 Speaker 6: I shared everything in our group chat, privately or while 1310 01:05:01,880 --> 01:05:04,200 Speaker 6: talking in real life. I also told her all of 1311 01:05:04,240 --> 01:05:07,160 Speaker 6: her favorite things, how I see her and what I 1312 01:05:07,200 --> 01:05:10,960 Speaker 6: know she wants to become. To emphasize the imbalance, she 1313 01:05:11,120 --> 01:05:13,360 Speaker 6: never corrected me. I told her I needed time to 1314 01:05:13,400 --> 01:05:16,200 Speaker 6: think about our friendship and hung up. I haven't texted 1315 01:05:16,400 --> 01:05:19,360 Speaker 6: Juliette since August fifteenth, and the worst part is she 1316 01:05:19,480 --> 01:05:22,600 Speaker 6: barely texted and Mikey either, But I was the one 1317 01:05:22,600 --> 01:05:25,600 Speaker 6: who broke contact with her. Some things have happened between 1318 01:05:25,640 --> 01:05:28,439 Speaker 6: juliet and Mikey, but that's not my story to tell. 1319 01:05:28,760 --> 01:05:31,360 Speaker 7: My goodness, I don't even really have much to add, Like, 1320 01:05:31,440 --> 01:05:36,480 Speaker 7: I just need to know what the heck Juliette says, Yeah, yeah, 1321 01:05:36,600 --> 01:05:38,640 Speaker 7: it's crazy to go to your friend and be like, Hi, 1322 01:05:38,720 --> 01:05:42,240 Speaker 7: these are like some genuinely like genuine concerns that have 1323 01:05:42,320 --> 01:05:44,040 Speaker 7: been having in our friendship and her just be like, well, 1324 01:05:44,040 --> 01:05:45,280 Speaker 7: you don't struggle. 1325 01:05:45,040 --> 01:05:48,200 Speaker 6: Yeah, you just That's what I know about you is 1326 01:05:48,600 --> 01:05:50,640 Speaker 6: that you don't struggle that much anymore. 1327 01:05:50,720 --> 01:05:51,760 Speaker 3: None of my interests. 1328 01:05:52,920 --> 01:05:56,520 Speaker 6: What she gave very like vague things about her. It's like, 1329 01:05:57,560 --> 01:06:00,720 Speaker 6: this has been five years, you can't say anything more like, oh, 1330 01:06:00,800 --> 01:06:04,800 Speaker 6: come on, my goodness. Mike and I actually text every 1331 01:06:04,840 --> 01:06:07,520 Speaker 6: day now. It gives me so much energy because we 1332 01:06:07,680 --> 01:06:10,400 Speaker 6: genuinely talk about things we like. And I'm so glad 1333 01:06:10,520 --> 01:06:13,040 Speaker 6: I found her because she truly sees the real meat. 1334 01:06:13,240 --> 01:06:15,560 Speaker 6: We already made plans about her staying in my place, 1335 01:06:15,600 --> 01:06:18,200 Speaker 6: which is happening in the upcoming days. I still need 1336 01:06:18,200 --> 01:06:20,880 Speaker 6: to text Juliette to formally end our friendship, but I 1337 01:06:20,920 --> 01:06:24,080 Speaker 6: am duretting the fallout. So am I the a hole 1338 01:06:24,120 --> 01:06:26,600 Speaker 6: for not wanting to end a five year friendship with 1339 01:06:26,680 --> 01:06:29,919 Speaker 6: Juliette and continue my friendship with Mikey, who I met 1340 01:06:29,960 --> 01:06:31,960 Speaker 6: through Juliette. That's the end of that story. But what 1341 01:06:32,040 --> 01:06:32,560 Speaker 6: do we think? 1342 01:06:32,840 --> 01:06:36,400 Speaker 7: No, not at all so draining? 1343 01:06:36,720 --> 01:06:39,280 Speaker 6: Yes, yeah, I think, Like I mean, I don't know 1344 01:06:39,320 --> 01:06:41,920 Speaker 6: if you need to formally end the friendship with Juliette. 1345 01:06:42,200 --> 01:06:44,600 Speaker 6: You did say you needed to talk, like think about things, 1346 01:06:44,600 --> 01:06:48,080 Speaker 6: so I guess maybe you could just say what you 1347 01:06:48,160 --> 01:06:49,640 Speaker 6: need to but get it out. 1348 01:06:49,720 --> 01:06:51,840 Speaker 7: I guess because you told her you would. But yeah, 1349 01:06:51,920 --> 01:06:56,160 Speaker 7: I agree with you, Like, it's not necessarily right needed. 1350 01:06:56,160 --> 01:06:59,120 Speaker 6: Kind of have it like fizzle out. Yeah, but if 1351 01:06:59,160 --> 01:07:02,000 Speaker 6: she'll let it fizzle right right, if she won't let 1352 01:07:02,040 --> 01:07:03,720 Speaker 6: a fizzle, then yeah, you might have to say something. 1353 01:07:03,800 --> 01:07:07,320 Speaker 6: But but it's definitely like there's no world where it 1354 01:07:07,320 --> 01:07:09,800 Speaker 6: would be wrong of you to be friends with someone 1355 01:07:09,960 --> 01:07:12,160 Speaker 6: that you met through someone that you don't want to 1356 01:07:12,160 --> 01:07:14,840 Speaker 6: be friends with anymore. Like it's it doesn't matter how 1357 01:07:14,880 --> 01:07:17,000 Speaker 6: you met that person. You just want to be friends 1358 01:07:17,000 --> 01:07:19,280 Speaker 6: with someone and not someone else, And that's the end 1359 01:07:19,320 --> 01:07:19,840 Speaker 6: of this story.