Paranoia – free today!

It turns out I am not the only person afraid of me. While at work today I had the privilege of sending a policy email to approximately 4,500 employees. In order to avoid a flurry of ‘reply to all’ messages, I sent the email utilizing the blind carbon copy feature. As a result, I had several employees who felt the email was directed at them, specifically, and they contacted me to confirm this suspicion. When I receive calls or email with this question, “Was it something I did?,” it often makes me think that, perhaps, it was something they did.

A few hours later, I decided to send out another email to staff. This time, the email was not about policy, rather, opportunity. The Biggest Loser had contacted us, for the second year in a row, to extend an invitation to our employees to audition for the 14th season. Having a wellness initiative as a priority, I shared the invitation with staff. Like the policy email, some people took this personal. “Are you calling me fat?” and “A couple of people told me I should audition,” were just a few of the responses I received.

Not having time for further work paranoia, I donned my driver outfit and headed to the airport to retrieve Ice Cream Man and Sleepless. With my driving cap, mustache, racing glasses, tie, and a sign announcing my passengers, I patiently awaited their arrival. Somehow, they made it to the baggage carousel and curbside before they saw me. I’ve no doubt Ice Cream Man gave a sigh of relief thinking this airport pickup was shenanigan free. Then, he saw me. “He gets so anxious being picked up now,” Sleepless advised me and added, “He told me he is going to start using Groupon parking coupons.” “It’s true,” he told me as he uploaded a picture of his driver and Sleepless, “Some people get nervous flying…landing…I get nervous walking off the plane.”

Today, paranoia was free and, like good/bad things, came in threes.