SILENCE CAN BE DEADLY

Am I that Important?

I never really understand that I can be a the source of all gossips in the office when I do not even actively participate in them?

Actively, there is a person whom I will say as colleagues, we only interact when we need to, but otherwise during my own time, I would rather spend my time focus on either my work or even other avenues.

Life in the office is already tense and there are moments, I would really love to be alone, just so that I can recollect back my plans or strategies? At times, I will be really quiet but I do talk when I need to, so I don't want people to assume that I have shut them out.

However, there is this lady in the office, where I will christened her as "Always Nosing Around Lady" or ANAL for short. ANAL is the sort of lady who dresses up really well, fashionable according to her senses and always displays a very wealthy outlook. But, for a lady like her or more aptly, Auntie, she does have very bad habits like bringing her two big empty Tupperware to fill the mineral water from the pantry room, or the other time, I caught her taking the sponges that was used to pad the machines in boxes home for washing of cutlery or other UN-ethical methods of what you self-possessed as wealthy...

And if this not enough, one of her famous quotes is always to remind all around "my husband keeps on asking me to quit my job, as he is well off to take care of us, but I have passion for my job...etc etc" or " the managers keep on asking me to stay on because they want me to take care of the accounts" ... shameless statements, I would say.

I'm not envious of ANAL's success or even style, but let me just add in here is that I do not like it when ANAL begins to spread word to my close associates that I have been neglecting her or put it straight to the point, "Put her in the cold storage". (meaning shutting her off entirely).

I have never done that and believe will never do so, but what really irks me is that ANAL have the opportunity to come clean directly to me but instead takes a detour and instead asks my friends about me? This shows this person has no balls, oops, pardon the pun, but this person really does not have any!

ANAL had told me earlier, she is a person who is matured and also able to take things in the transparent way. Anything that might bother her, she will bring this up but up to this point, why does she have to actually go through another party to suss out information? Pity ANAL who is like those creatures who desperately needs to find out more but will create things just to get them...

But, looking at another angle, I think I'm not that unimportant as I thought I would be all this while. Yes, I may only command so much in the office but in terms of wanting to secure my loyalty or even patronage, there are elements out there in the office who would resort to these sort of actions. Just try to lay low for a week or so, be very quiet, talk only when you need to or even skip those daily lunches, and tongues will wag.

Seriously, either they are talking about your aloofness or maybe your arrogance, whatever it is, tongues will never stop for sure. Give it some thought, maybe you are IMPORTANT to them after all....

Gee, someone hand me a book on ART OF WAR by SunTzu?