Loss of Temper
Apologies for the long intro, but please bear with it.........I was a young man still just in my teens, and had been in the same slave wage apprentice engineering job for nearly 4 years, it was just starting to dawn on me that I hated my job, my boss was an absolute tyrant, my take home pay was rubbish (a strangely re-occurring thought for over 15 years now), and that my life was crappy, although I could not admit it to myself, as I stupidly thought, being young and innocent, that if I left the shitty apprenticeship my career and my life would be ruined forever.

Due to my melancholic disposition, lack of enthusiam for my job, and tyranical boss, getting into work on time was a struggle and I would regularly get to work well after I was supposed to be at my desk. My bosses began to notice and after a few meetings with them to discuss the problem (when I should have had the balls to resign), they deciced to send me off to one of the company project sites in London, on the strict promise that my punctuality was to improve....after two weeks of turning up late on site, the site manager told me that if I was late one more time he would be letting the bosses back at the office know what was happening....That night when I got home I was adamant that I would be on time for work the next morning, that I would not be getting sacked, I would force myself to enjoy my job, and that everything would work out....nearly at the shameful bit......

I crawled out of bed at 7:30 am the next morning, I had to be in London for 8:30am, it wasn't looking too good, I left my house at 7:35am, jumped on my push bike, and after an exhausting 3 mile ride, through red traffic lights, and unwary pedestrians, made it to the the station for 7:44 just in time for the 7:45 train....the train was due into King's Cross at 8:20am...after which a 10 minute tube ride and a 5 minute walk to the site, which would make me 5 minutes late, although if I ran once leaving the tube station, I might just make it in time. The site manager was adamant, I was not to be late or else, and by now, as I frantically checked my watch on the train every 2 seconds, getting to work on time had become the single most important event, ever.

I sprinted out of the tube station at 8:28am for all my life was worth, already exhausted from anxiety and the bike ride to the station. I charged down Victoria Street, a sweaty, panting, confused mess, I was in metres of the site (8:29am + 55 Ses), when a frail old lady, shuffling along with a zimmer frame, crossed my path on the pavement, causing me to slow down and change direction....thus losing vital seconds.

As I brushed passed the poor old lady, out of sheer frustration and panic I bellowed "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVE!!!!!!", about 2 inches from her ear......I think every head on Victoria Street turned in my direction, but I did not care, I had to get to work, I could have caused the frail old lady a heart attack or stroke, but I did not care, and I did not look back to see if she was OK.

Frightening old ladies nearly to death whilst on the way to work was bordering on madness, and not to mention shameful.

I quit my job a month or two later, and have never regretted it.

Little old lady...I'm sorry.
(dunkindogdo, Wed 30 Nov 2005, 11:24, Reply)