And The Cell Door Slams Behind You...

A Warning First...What I'm about to talk about and show you is disturbing. I'm not doing this to make a political point...as I believe that when all is said and done, and there you are standing before your god, politics doesn't add up to a hill of beans. (To quote one of my favorite movies).

This is a true story. The soldier's name is Ty Ziegel - his girlfriend's name is Renee.

Here is the two of them in happier times.




This is their wedding photo a few years later.

This is after his truck was attacked in Iraq and he was almost burned to death.



But what I really want you to look at is not him.

I want you to look at Renee's eyes.

That, my friends, is the look of the cell door slamming behind you.

It's the look of someone trying to do the right thing.

But you can tell she is no longer in love with him.

Now, that doesn't make her a bad person...I mean, this is her wedding photo...

And she's not even smiling.

Which brings me to my point.

Here is a problem that has been bothering the pig for a few days.

There is a girl at work with whom I used to be close. She'd come in before work and we'd talk about books, movies or music. She'd loan me books, I'd loan her comic books. She'd loan me CD's and DVD's etc.

Then she stopped coming in.

No big deal, people get busy.

But you see. She was supposed to join my work group next year as like my assistant. I give these invites to those with whom I trust and like. It makes working together much more productive and pleasant.

Well...the other day she comes in to tell me that she want's to work for another group leader. Lays out the reasons and I'm like - "OK, do what you need to do."

I mean yeah. I feel betrayed. I feel disrespected. I feel screwed over, because now I've got to scramble for a replacement at the last minute and all the good workers have already been picked over. And I'm not gonna lie, I'd rather do all the work myself than get saddled with someone who only works in a half assed fashion.

I mean under the circumstances, I thought I was being pretty cool.

I didn't get upset.

I mean, I really didn't get upset.

Like when I fake it and try to tell myself I'm not upset when I really am. It wasn't even remotely like that.

I just don't want someone to work for me because they feel a sense of obligation. I don't want her to feel like Renee. You know, doing something they hate out of a sense of duty.

Not for me anyway. That's not how I roll.

So you see...

Zen Pig.

Mature Pig.

I was quite proud of myself.

But now here is the kicker.

I have heard that said girl is upset with me. (Or at least that's what is going through the grapevine, and I work in a very small town enviornment).

I'm not sure why either. I don't know what I did.

I mean if I expect too much from the people who work for me (and I do) that doesn't make me a bad person. If she can't handle the work than she did the right thing.

If she likes the other guy better. That's ok with me as well.

Hell if I've done something to offend her, I'll apologize.

The problem is I don't know what it is that I did.

And in the end that is the question I keep coming back to..."What did I do?"

Oh well...

By the way. I looked it up.

Ty and Renee's marriage broke up in less than a year. (Tell the truth...did you expect it to end any other way).