I know a lot of people say, "don't shit where you eat," but to me, that's just a stupid saying. Even leaving aside how gross and vulgar the saying is! It's also just stupid, because it can be managed pretty easily by anyone with a decent organizational sense. Wipe only and always with the left hand; sandwich only and always gripped firm in the right. This eliminates the concern, as well as providing a strong example of multitasking. No hill for a climber.
But a far more troubling - potentially troubling - issue, or question, is that of office romance. A lot of folks use the term "workplace romance," but I prefer "office romance" - since I don't want to be judgmental about the amount of "work" getting done in any given "place." It's true that not all job sites are offices, but I think that (for instance) construction sites, or the top of a telephone pole - these aren't the usual venues for the delicate bloom of love to take root and flower. So "office romance" it is - a general term, and an accurate one. Because in this modern business world - today's offices are hot!
What to do? Whether you're male or female, gay or straight, the office setting is rife with red-hot babes of your preferred persuasion, constantly rubbing up on ya. At the copier. Around the water cooler. Up and down the stairwells and in elevators. Cubicles? More like semi-private sex nests! It's no wonder workaholism / sex addiction is so common a dual-diagnosis. Here's a clear case where one thing really does lead to the other.
My advice for you: get some. But before you do, first check out your particular company's P&P's ("policies and procedures" - we'll be using that abbreviation a lot!), and if it looks like you're in the clear as far as not getting fired, then get some. Workplace romance can be one hot, sticky benefit that the company may not advertise! But be aware of the pitfalls: even if you've minded you're P&Q's (I have no idea what this stands for) on the P&P's, there are some pretty steep pitfalls involved that you might want to be wary of. In fact, you're probably already aware of them. They're pretty much the same pitfalls as general romance, only with the added wrinkle that even after it all goes south, you're still going to see the person, every day. He or she will keep turning up, giving you the stinkeye.
But as long as you're cool with that, well shoot! Go get to work! Work it, work it out baby.
Show me what you're working with.
11 comments:
As for workplace/office romance, with the exception of seven months in 2009, my wife and I worked together since 1999, and now, even though we work for different companies, we're both working at home - even better.
Yes, if managed properly and within the P&P's of said company, nothing wrong with it until you break up.
As for the P's and Q's - Pints and Quarts, as in 'don't spill your damned beers, you (olde English expletives)!'
"Pints and Quarts"?! That's fantastic!
I love it. "Mind your pints and quarts!"
I think you knew that already, you just forgot. I believe it has been discussed in my presence (and yours) before. But I don't intend to diminish Elliott's contribution of knowledge there! Well said as well.
And lucky you to both be able to work from home! And like it. I think I'd like it, but I know sometimes people complain it makes 'em stir crazy. Office lovers. I mean. . .
Blue, I'm not sure about working at home just yet. But at least now we get stir-crazy at the same time, instead of me wanting to be in, doing nothing, while Lori begs to go out and be social.
Great O'Keeffe painting, too...
@Blue - I'll take your word for it! Looks like there's a few rival claimants for the "P's and Q's" throne, though, alas. Some feel it originated with typsetters (re: lowercase p's and q's).
@Joe - yup, we discussed that as well, the typsetting drawers. I think I'd heard that in my "Archaeology of the Book" class, and it came up when one of you beer-drinking folk said it was pints & quarts. Either work, but the pints & quarts sounds more likely to me, given the contexts in which I've seen it. But the typesetting one seems like you're more smarty-pants. Which is actually part of why I think it's less likely, but I guess it easily could have evolved from that. It's only recently that typesetting is more of a choice artsy niche thing to do. Before that it was more skilled trade.
@Elliott - I do love Georgia O'Keeffe, but not the stuff people usually use/print (and presumably like?)
It's a lucky happiness your stir-craziness is in sync! Perhaps it has something to do with your home base, in terms of weather/area as well as your actual home.
I liked the skim I took of your Cheesehead Displacement blog. I had to google to get the movie quotation. Never seen that one. maybe I'll try to remember to tune in next week and see if I can get the next. I'm pretty good at that sort of thing, as Joe can attest. (So is he.)
I think the no-doubt fictional author of this post, watches a leetle too much television!
@Blue - it bugs me you've a better memory than I for things discussed in common. I think in this case, it's the unsettledness of it. If there were a clear victor in the etymology, I feel like it would have stuck firm! But when the answer is two things, I'm apt to remember neither. That's my excuse this time.
@Jen - I believe you could be right! I better have a word with Mr. Stricklee - fictional columnist or not, if this is going to be picked up as a regular feature, I want the advice to be based on the real workplace dynamic. Not some glamorized sexified scene as seen on such shows as "The Office" for instance.
I don't know what sort of jerkwad Miss Manners told me this, but I heard P's and Q's stood for Pleases and Thank you's (Than-Q's). Obviously a lie. It's not polite to lie, unless the purpose of that lie is to make someone else feel at ease.
Well JMH, that is one of the explanations "in the running"! But in the opinions I've seen (today, that is, while digging around), most put the beer explanation and the typesetting explanation near the top, and the please & 'kyous towards the bottom, plausibility-wise.
Still, that could just mean that phrase etymologists are beer-swilling typesetting fans who eschew cutesy etiquette.
Hm--I didn't realize this was supposed to be written by Leland Stricklee. I just sort of thought you were implying he was with you on this subject. You signed it, you see.
And of course you don't even own a television.
So now that's making me think, if Jen is getting some TV vibe off this, maybe there really is a Leland Stricklee, and maybe he had more to do with this post than I thought!
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