Look Before you Leap (or Speak)

Putting one's foot in one's mouth is never fun, but when it happens with many witnesses, and at the beginning of a very long evening, after a pretty great (but tiring) first week at a new job, it is even less enjoyable.

The scene: an alumni holiday party, at an east side bar in NYC. I am among the first to arrive. Upon entering the venue I spot some fellow alums I have not seen since leaving the old job. They of course want details- Why did you leave mid year? Where are you now? Never one to hold back details (to a fault of course), I laid out the whole scenario, and unleashed my feelings about someone I had worked for, with no shortage of inappropriate language. Almost at the completion of my tale, I looked up to see the very person I was so colorfully describing sitting not more than 2 feet away. Cheeks grew hot, stomach lurched, sweat beads collected in all places visible to onlookers. Never a fan of conflict, I felt instantly ill, and desperately in need of a cocktail. What to do- apologize for being immature, and probably validating this person's already low regard for me? Move away as if it never happened? I opted for the latter, and a strong cocktail, and settled in for a painful 4 hours. Luckily a little vodka after 5 days of Slimfast has pretty powerful painkilling powers.