Wasted Effort

I once worked for a little Jewish fellow who had the biggest “Napoleon” complex I’ve ever witnessed; let’s call him S.B.  S.B. was on the short side, only about five foot six at best and to many people he probably seemed like a cute little hobbit.  S.B. was very well educated and a likeable chap but he developed an intense dislike for me from the moment of our first meeting.  I noticed when he was around me he had difficulty even walking, he seemed to be so self conscious that he stumbled over his own feet.  I tried my best to make S.B. feel more comfortable around me, digging deep to find his good qualities and bringing them into conversation, but nothing seemed to help the poor guy.  I don’t know what it was about me unless I represented everything he was not.  I was much taller and smarter than he was and I think he resented it, or maybe he was bullied as a youngster by someone who looked like me.  I guess I’ll never know.

For the first couple of years of our relationship, S.B. and I did not see much of each other and the inevitable confrontation did not occur, but that was not to last.  Eventually, work brought us closer together and his real venom began to show itself.  I knew my days were numbered.  Normally under these circumstances, I would not tolerate someone like S.B. but this time I put extra effort into making things right.  I tried to talk with him on several occasions but it seemed like the more effort I put into our relationship, the worse things got.  In the end, when the company began to downsize, I was one of the first to go.  There are many things I should have said to S.B. at the time, and I didn't, so if he is still out there somewhere and by chance has an opportunity to read this I’d just like to say, Fuck You.