The Paradox

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Has your boss ever told you you need to lighten up?

Mine told me that today.

It's the most hilariously unfair thing a boss can say to an employee if you ask me.
 
Especially when said employee considers said boss to be a savior of epic proportions.  Especially if said boss is the only reason said employee is not teaching high school this very moment.  Especially when said boss is known to have "let-go" the previous employee in said-employee's position because among many things, previous-employee's daily attitude/demeanor was less than professional.  This new employee is not ABOUT to run the risk of not taking the job seriously enough.

Besides that... it's all a trick.  I know this because today in a meeting, my boss mentioned to me that a certain e-mail he asked me to send out to the office four weeks ago contained one word that had a less-than-positive connotation.  As I've said many times before, I LOVE the boss-man... he's probably my favorite person I've ever worked for.  But what I've seen so far in my first few months is that this "Lighten Up" business is only welcome at certain very specific times, and despite my best efforts... I'm constantly wrong about when those times are.  Case and Point: the light-hearted e-mail I sent out.

So for now and for however long it takes for me to get the proper feel for things... I'm "Mrs. Wet Blanket Serious Lady."