Saturday, October 9, 2010

His Only Redeeming Quality.

He's kind of a dick. He'll make snide little comments about me to our co-workers, like, "She's new. You don't have to listen to her," and, "We'll make her do all the tedious shit while we go do the real work."

He makes things overly complicated and spends way too much time perfecting stuff that doesn't really matter. You either do things his way or you get the hell out, and he's not even the Best Boy. And he'll get on your case if he thinks you're "slowing him down," yet he'll walk away without saying a word and work comes to a halt as we all wait for his ass to come back.

I dread the day I have to work with him again.

But his kid's cute.

I met the little tyke one day when he came to set to visit his dad. Not even waist height, he'd cling to his father's leg as crew members, who are nothing but dirty looking strangers to him, would come by and shake his tiny hand or ruffle his soft, fluffy hair.

As I watched from across the room, I saw the proud look on the guy's face as his baby took a cookie from his hand, and I saw the look on the kid's face as only an innocent, loving kid could give a parent. I thought to myself, "Wow. This guy must really be a good dad."

I almost couldn't believe it. That this "bull in a china shop" kind of man, who's been giving me shit since the day we met, who's been making our days longer and more complicated, and who's gruff exterior makes him hard to reason with, actually has a kinder, softer side. Despite him being such a dick the past couple of days, I kind of respected him a little bit more and started to like him as a human being.

And then his kid left and it was back to business as usual.

4 comments :

Nathan said...

I hesitate to throw cold water on his redeeming quality, but I'm sure he's sweet as hell to his kid when he's teaching him about the difference between "manly" professions and "girly-work".

:D

(I Guess I'm just a cynic.)

JD said...

And....he teach his kid to treat people the same way he does.

A.J. said...

Nathan and JD - While I don't doubt you guys for a second, at least this dick's a dad who's there. I think he should get some kind of credit for that.

... Or maybe I'm just an optimist? :)

Michael Taylor said...

I don't know -- sounds to me like the guy's an asshole to everyone except his immediate bloodline family. While that might make him something less than a complete asshole -- despite his apparent "issues" with women in general and you in particular -- I can't give him a whole lot of credit for treating his son decently.

Perhaps such me-and-mine behavior would make a stand-up guy in a world of Neanderthals (and it's certainly preferable to those morons who routinely use physical violence as a means of communication with their family), but I'd like to think we've advanced socially since the Stone Age.

But I've been wrong before, and will doubtless be wrong again...

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