A Healthy Disdain

The other day a co-worker of mine swiftly shut up another officemate after he gushed for the umpteenth time "Can I tell you how much I love my boyfriend?..."

She simply stated,"How much longer are you going to start sentences like that? I'm telling you right now, you have one more week of it and then it's finished." (Keep in mind he's been dating the guy for six to eight weeks now...we've had our fill).


You don't mess with either of these people. She's a tough cookie, and he's high-strung uber-gay.
I enjoy them both, but you can only take him in small doses.

None of us can really take another second of the gushing. As terrible as this may sound, none of the heterosexuals in the group go on about intimate moments with our dates or significant others; we don't want to hear about his. More importantly, I don't want to hear about his.

Rarely do I like a guy enough after one date to kiss him, I don't need or want to hear that in the five dates he's had this week, he's planked each and every one of them.

Yes, general venting and/or excitement about great dates is accepted and mostly welcomed in the workplace, but geezus...how often can we hear how great sex is with this guy in comparison to the others, and how you just want him to come into bed with you after 'a long day at work.'

Barf.

Those cute and endearing Blackberry messages should stay private.

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

Then the female of the two made a great point: "I think it's important to have a healthy disdain for your partner."


What a great term. And how true. We all know relationships aren't perfect, so why pretend? Our collegial relationship will still dictate we be supportive yet remain somewhat removed when/if it all falls apart. By hearing how wonderful time in the romper room is right now, isn't going to make me more sympathetic later.

A healthy dose of bitching unites us all - it is the one thing we all have in common. Blissfully in love or not, it is human nature to find fault in others. It makes us feel better about ourselves, and somehow validates us and these social choices we make.

We all love to complain a bit; we would be boring people without a little negativity. Remember Alec Baldwin on Friends? That's my co-worker about this new relationship. That's annoying.

Mazel tov that you've found someone you like enough to see more than once. But either slip in a little scorn here and there or shut it.