Semantics Matter!

Say you’re a boss and your brand-new employee plans and executes a kick-ass event. Despite the fact that she went straight home to puke in some bushes and eat ice cream, you feel the need to celebrate her excellence by going to several bars. When you’re leaving at 2 pm the next day because you’re sooooo tired (hungover), if you want to reward your outstanding new employee don’t say, “Don’t stay too late.” What you need to say is, “Feel free to leave early if you want.”

Because I wasn’t planning on staying late at all. Now, I’m sure this is all semantics, but for god’s sake you need to be straight with people.

I think it doesn’t help that I am crazy tired today. Walking coma-tired. And I really did puke in a bush last night. The second half of the meeting went a little too long and I was STARVING. As soon as it was over I hit the buffet and gorged myself on egg rolls and mozzarella sticks and chips and guac and who knows what else, and it was NOT a good idea. Nor was playing DDR after eating all that. Dumbass. It was a full sized machine, though – so hard to resist. And I won!

But yeah, somewhere between where I parked the car and my apartment, it came back to haunt me. Luckily I didn’t have any sympathy pukers around, just an unlucky bush.