PapaRomantic
Writing away...
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2016
- Posts
- 8,184
It was a difficult day for Kyle – not that it mattered, because he was pretty steady no matter what his mood was. That was one thing about him. His gentle nature was good for most situations, but when he missed the promotion at work, he wondered if perhaps he hadn’t convinced his manager that he could handle the pressures of the position that was open.
It was easy for people to stick him in a corner, because he rarely complained. He came in, did his job quietly and efficiently, and went home. Routine suited him best, and surprises often caused enough turmoil that he avoided them if at all possible.
That’s pretty much the way Kyle had been brought up. It was a sedated side of the All-American Dream – be a good student, respect your parents, find a “nice” girl that would marry you and be faithful to you and have kids for you, and work hard in your job to take care of your family while being proud of the work that you do.
Kyle was average – about 5’9”, maybe 160 pounds if wet, sandy blond hair that he kept short. He wasn’t athletic, wasn’t a math genius, wouldn’t stand out in a crowd at all. In fact, he could pretty much hide in an open group of people if he wanted to, and not have to face an uncomfortable situation like having to make new friends. He didn’t need many friends – he had his wife Beth, and a couple of friends from college that they would connect with from time to time.
But mostly it was job and home – that was his life, and he was fine with it.
But when the opening had come up for unit manager in the office where he worked, something inside had clicked, and he set his mind to the fact that the position should be his. He wrote the application to his manager, saying why he should be chosen, and then he waited….
So when the general manager called a meeting of all employees that morning, Kyle was extremely disappointed to find out that not only did he not get the promotion, but that the woman who was hired from the outside was starting her work that very day, and all employees were instructed to be cordial to her and get to know her as she began her duties.
So he sat at his desk and tried to focus on his work, but the dread of meeting the person who had taken his position was occupying his mind and clouding his attitude. He didn’t handle meeting new people well, and it was made even worse for him by the fact that I was a woman. It was not a good day indeed!
It was easy for people to stick him in a corner, because he rarely complained. He came in, did his job quietly and efficiently, and went home. Routine suited him best, and surprises often caused enough turmoil that he avoided them if at all possible.
That’s pretty much the way Kyle had been brought up. It was a sedated side of the All-American Dream – be a good student, respect your parents, find a “nice” girl that would marry you and be faithful to you and have kids for you, and work hard in your job to take care of your family while being proud of the work that you do.
Kyle was average – about 5’9”, maybe 160 pounds if wet, sandy blond hair that he kept short. He wasn’t athletic, wasn’t a math genius, wouldn’t stand out in a crowd at all. In fact, he could pretty much hide in an open group of people if he wanted to, and not have to face an uncomfortable situation like having to make new friends. He didn’t need many friends – he had his wife Beth, and a couple of friends from college that they would connect with from time to time.
But mostly it was job and home – that was his life, and he was fine with it.
But when the opening had come up for unit manager in the office where he worked, something inside had clicked, and he set his mind to the fact that the position should be his. He wrote the application to his manager, saying why he should be chosen, and then he waited….
So when the general manager called a meeting of all employees that morning, Kyle was extremely disappointed to find out that not only did he not get the promotion, but that the woman who was hired from the outside was starting her work that very day, and all employees were instructed to be cordial to her and get to know her as she began her duties.
So he sat at his desk and tried to focus on his work, but the dread of meeting the person who had taken his position was occupying his mind and clouding his attitude. He didn’t handle meeting new people well, and it was made even worse for him by the fact that I was a woman. It was not a good day indeed!