We were doing a “workshop” this afternoon within our department. We were asked to relate our most regrettable moment to our “confidant” and then the confidant had to explain to the rest of the workshop, in nice terms, what happened and why it wasn’t that bad, and how it could be related to work.

Well, the moment I chose (and I could have chosen among many) came from a bowling league that I bowled in with my Dad when we lived in Wisconsin back in '91 or '92. I basically bowled with my Dad's friends, one of which I kind of bonded with right away--this guy named Wayne. Well, Wayne and I shared stupid stories about women and stuff like that. You know, just rude guy talk. One night at bowling, one lane over, there was a woman, 400 lbs if she was a pound. I looked at Wayne and said, “Hey, there’s one for you!” Wayne quietly looks at me and says, “That’s my wife.” I just busted out laughing. I said to him, “Sure, like you’d marry a whale!” Wayne just quietly repeated, “No, that’s my wife.” He then turned and walked away. Well, this exchange was overheard by another guy on our team. He grabbed my arm and said, “Hey, shut the fuck up! That IS his wife.” Well, after that, Wayne never really talked to me again and I moved to Virginia a month or two later.

My dad told me that Wayne died of lung cancer about 2 months ago and I guess that’s why he was on my mind and why I told my workshop partner that it was my most regrettable moment.

When my “confidant” at work tried to explain what happened to the group, he just started laughing and said, “I can’t do this; it’s just too mean,” and sat down. So now, and probably forever, everyone in my office is going to look at me sideways, wondering what I did…

Argh...Why couldn't I have lied and said I borrowed my dad's car for the weekend or something?