“Is is true?”
“Is what true?”
“Today is your fiftieth birthday?”
“Oh no, please not the ‘turning 50 crap.’ But for your information, I am not over the hill, thank you. I have reached the hill!”
“What’s it like to have finally reached that infamous hill?”
“It feels somewhat fulfilling, maybe a little scary because people will expect me to put the years of wisdom I have accumulated towards something significant.”
“In that case have you done it yet?”
“Have I done what?”
“Reached the goal you wanted to achieve before you turned fifty?”
“It depends on what goal. If you mean making sure my kids are successful, then the answer is yes. If you mean do I have my dream job, then the answer is no.”
“So you’re saying that you’ve never quite figured it out.”
“Something like that, but I have accumulated years of wisdom!”
“So why don’t you apply that wisdom to creating your dream job?”
“I have a job.”
“Is it your dream job?”
“No, it’s a job I hate. My boss is a bully. I am harassed all day.”
“Why don’t you quit?”
“Can’t. Too many responsibilities. Sometimes I feel like a kid on the school playground.”
“Were you bullied in school?”
“Just by one kid and someone like him grew up to become my boss!”
“How did you handle the bullying in school?”
“Back then, you learned to run fast or tough it out, just to get through the day. That’s what I’m doing now in this job, I suppose. ‘ Toughing’ it out just to get through the day.”
“Bummer.”
“Who says that anymore?”
“I know, sorry, it slipped out. Anyway, it’s never too late to figure it out.”
“I can’t make any changes in my life. I have too many responsibilities.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you think that you’ll ever have that dream job?”
“I’m fifty already.”
“So what does that mean?”
“It means that last year I was forty-nine and next year, hopefully, I’ll be fifty-one.”
“Sort of stuck in the middle?”
“Something like that.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“I don’t think that there is a problem. I’m basically happy.”
“Being basically happy is a wonderful goal, yeah, really! Look, why don’t you just do it?”
“You’re absolutely right. I should quit my job or at least end this harassment at work and pursue my dream job. But I don’t know what I can do about the bullying at work.”
“There is a law against bullying in the workplace.”
“Really, didn’t know that. I’ll look into it and make a change today!”
(c) 2012 Linda Stone Cohen All Rights Reserved
Remember that no amount of money can purchase grace, wisdom and humility. Until tomorrow…
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