proving grounds

for quite some time now i've been living under the suspicion that a certain man of my acquaintance was - - is - - a real jerk. but, i've had no hard evidence of it - - hearsay, yes; tell-tale signs, yes - - but no real proof.

today he first hand delivered the final blow to his case.

while making my toast and preparing to collect my hot water for tea, the self-same man walked up to the coffee machine (which i had turned on on my way down the hall, even though he was here well before *I* was and walks past the exact same coffee machine on his way down the hall) and pulled the spigot and got nothing. "Well," he says to me, "I was hoping to get some coffee, but it looks like D hasn't made any yet..." and he ambles off - - obviously COMPLETELY determined that he won't be making any coffee.

this is the same man who, in spite of the fact that his own wife has had a child and he has first hand experience with pregnancy, has told his pregnant subordinate "Honestly, if your back is hurting you while sitting in your office chair, you should probably take the time as medical leave and not work at all, i can't see how working from home would be a solution..." can't see how it would be a solution? how about because at home you can sit on your couch and put up your feet and alleviate most of the things that are irritating your sciatica WITHOUT having to eat into the family leave time that's associated with your pregnancy/maternity leave and WITHOUT cutting short your postpartum time with the BRAND NEW BABY???? how about that???

the same man who routinely passes off the work that he feels is too detailed (or not gloryful enough) to others inside AND outside his team. the same man who refuses to learn how to use the new tool because he doesn't believe he'll ever have a use for it - even though he's asked others with access to (and training in) the new tool to pull information for him.

still - - i'm really trying to focus on the fact that all people are flawed and need forgiveness and love. i'm one of those folks... the flawed ones... and *I* need forgiveness and love... and i am working on figuring out a way to get past this man's egocentric behaviour and move forward in peace and love.