Growing old isn't an option ... growing up is!

It was a Thursday afternoon and the blistering sun was scorching everything and everyone beneath it. The sweltering heat is causing not only the temperature to rise ... but tempers to flare too.

I've needed my colleague (let's call him Mr.T) to do his job and get the consultant to inspect the delivery of certain equipment and sign it off. Easy peasy. In fact, despite needing to give the consultant a 24 hour notice prior to the inspection ... I sweet talked that bugger to do it on the spot and he gracefully obliged. I gave Mr.T the go-ahead and was rather pleased that everything was going as planned.

Time passed ... tick tock tick tock ... and KABOOM!!!

I heard shouts coming from the outside. Voices were raised and spiteful words were spat out at each other. Let's just say the language used was most 'colourful'.

Next instant ... Mr.T stormed into my room and said 'I CAN'T WORK LIKE THIS!!! HE'S A BLOODY F*CKER!!!' and stormed out. Before I could react, the consultant appeared and shouted 'WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH HIM. THAT'S IT ... FROM NOW ON, I'M GONNA PLAY NASTY WITH YOU GUYS!' and slammed the door on his way out. I thought to myself *Gee, do I look like a freakin' punching bag to you fellas?!*

Sighhh ...

From where I was seated ... I could still hear my colleague complaining to every person in his path over what transpired. I walked out and together with another colleague ... we tried to persuade Mr.T to cool down but for Mr.T, that wasn't an option unless the consultant issued him a formal apology. So we eventually told him to head on home before he does more damage.

A neutral party who was present when the argument erupted told us that is all happened over a bad joke. The consultant called Mr.T a monkey in good humour but Mr.T couldn't swallow it. Despite being offered an apology, Mr.T blew his top which lead to the consultant firing back with all guns blazing.

In the end, my colleague and I had to spend some time as well as our ego to soothe the fuming consultant. Now the consultant wanted Mr.T to give him an apology or he's gonna make life difficult for everyone else. A pissed off consultant isn't going to help us get our work done but we eventually managed to calm him down and got the inspection completed.

So there you go ... all this was highly unnecessary ... and all over a joke that turned sour. In the end, it left us all with a bitter after taste. It just goes to show that growing old isn't an option but growing up is. *Sheesh*