Jason couldn’t get a clear yes or no
So he presumed and acted on what he did know
He felt better acting with reasonable intent
In the absence of clear guidance or overt consent
Could this get him in trouble, decidedly so
Bosses aren’t required to be rational you know
So it boiled down to his confidence in reading
His boss’s comfort with unasked for leading
Knowing his fate hinged on his ultimate success
He made sure his results were enough to impress
He made his decision and after that didn’t worry
He made sure he was right and not in a hurry
He made certain everything assigned was complete
He didn’t make waves he was completely discrete
He tried not to step on other people’s toes
But gave them lavish credit as if they were pros
So this was his formula used time and again
Report great results with a confident grin
Answer questions in a manner he called clear and brisk
And take only what he deemed to be a reasonable risk
But then one Friday Jason chose wrong
In retrospect he admitted he was being headstrong
He decided after everyone else had left work
Thinking he had the weekend to sort through the murk
But first he needed a few hours of sleep
And that’s when it hit him in his gut way down deep
He had eaten lunch with his buddies earlier that day
And apparently had another installment to pay
He stopped by the men’s room then dashed for his car
He knew in his heart the commute was too far
His car felt like it was two hundred degrees
But the damn thing didn’t start when he turned the key
Jason didn’t really know how to pray
He could play the odds straight, but this wasn’t play
He was still optimistic he just needed some luck
A little serendipity would stop all the suck
But in the middle of the lot there was none to be had
And Jason didn’t have the energy to be mad
Just as he thought he should throw in the towel
He was jarred into action by a signal from his bowels
He dashed to the shrubbery to throw up again
And sat in the dirt wiping drool from his chin
After awhile he walked back to his car
And noticed the shifter wan’t sitting in park
Jason’t priorities had not really changed
But he felt like his whole universe had been rearranged
He still wanted sleep, in fact needed it badly
So he drove to a hotel and paid for a room gladly
It took twenty-four hours and Jason was still weak
He couldn’t think of a time when his life looked this bleak
But he still had some time so he thought about how
He might salvage the situation and pull off a wow
He couldn’t just give up, that wasn’t his style
He just needed to think and use all his guile
So Jason made a cup of fresh ginger tea
He closed all the shades so his mind could roam free
He was desperate for someone else on his team
This whole exercise was now tougher than it seemed
So he sat there thinking alone in the dark
There was no sense in moving if he couldn’t find a spark
Thinking wasn’t producing the results he was needing
He was right on the verge of openly pleading
He was willing to try everything in his power
So he tried meditating and taking a shower
Late Sunday morning he was close to depression
Jason finally admitted he must make a confession
His burden was lifted at least for the day
The best thing he could do now was get out and play
So he took his trail bike to his favorite trail
And let himself feel like an outdoorsy male
He didn’t mind admitting he felt a lot better
And vowed to stop being a super hero go-getter
It just wasn’t worth it, he should just play a lot more
He was letting himself turn into a bore
He’d have plenty of play time when he met with his boss
This was going to be a bitter tasting sauce
Next morning he was wearing his most confident grin
But he felt just the opposite inside his skin
Eventually he finally got up the nerve
To sit down with his boss and take the punishment he deserved
His boss let him ramble on for awhile
But oddly enough he didn’t seem riled
Then he held up his hand and asked Jason to listen
Here it comes Jason thought, as he felt his spine stiffen
Jason the truth is I’ve been setting you up
All these projects you’ve done have been needed cleanup
And I have to admit that you’ve done pretty well
In fact, your work would be perfect if you learned how to spell
I let you see the need and I knew that you would
And hoped you would tackle them if you thought you could
Now I know there’s a chance you might feel betrayed
But I’ve been keeping track and you’re going to be paid
It’s a benefit to have this work done by my team
You now have expertise more valuable than it seems
You’ve made things more efficient, and that affects profits
Plus you’ve proven your skills to be well beyond novice
I just needed to know how you reacted to failing
And you owned your mistakes instead of just bailing
So get out there and fix this, I know you know how
Then we’ll talk about your future, I just can’t do it now
Jason saw his boss through a new set of eyes
Not only was he smart, he was bordering on wise
A boss that knew the value of making mistakes
Jason felt like he had won the sweepstakes
Photo by Nathan Dumlao via unsplash.com
