The Other Guy’s Shoes

Weedman stuck his head into my cubicle. “I don’t want to say I told you so,” he said, “but I told you so. I told Drivel so too.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Jackie’s husband slipped into a coma. I told you she poisoned him. They arrested Mike Marvel for fraud. I told Drivel that Marvel was a con.”

“Just because Jackie’s husband is in a coma, doesn’t mean she poisoned him. Drivel must be crushed.”

Weedman said, “I feel bad for Jackie, but I so want to rub Drivel’s nose in it. I want to laminate the  story from the newspaper and glue it to his windshield.

“But you’re not going to,” I said, reading his expression.

“No, I'm not. About ten years into my first job I got conned out of all my savings. I felt like an idiot.  Hated it then, hate it now, hate that it keeps me from enjoying Drivel being scammed.”

“You have empathy,” I said. “You can put yourself in the other guy’s shoes. Be grateful.” I thought of all the painful episodes in my life that let me put myself in the other guy’s shoes. Hated it at the time, but not anymore.

Today I’ll be grateful for whatever lets me understand someone else’s pain.

Burnout Training ©2018 by Ken Montrose

Burnout Training is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/