Mean

I am a Taylor Swift fan. Say what you want, I think the girl is darn talented, mature way beyond her years, and cute to boot! When Jack was about 2 ½, he declared that Taylor Swift was his girlfriend and he wanted to invite her over for dinner. When asked what we should serve her, he said hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and peas. My well rounded little eater! Because Jack and I both love Taylor, we listen to her a lot. Her latest album is a good one. The other day, her latest single, Mean, struck a chord with me (pun intended!). Taylor was inspired to write the song about critics that were, well, mean to her. They wrote nasty things just to be mean. We all know these people. We’ve met them as kids in school; we’ve met them at parties; and we’ve met them at work. Specifically, most recently, I’ve met them at work. I have workplace bullies. They don’t beat me up, or take my lunch money. But they are no better than the kids in school or the critics Taylor sings about. They criticize the work I do. They use their position to get what they want, at the expense of others, or sometimes, the entire organization. They talk about people (I’m sure me) behind their backs. They are rude. They are snobby. They are, simply put, mean. I’ve spent too much time questioning my abilities and worrying about what they say. I was reminded of this fact the other day as I sang along with Taylor, loudly. (Because, I sing like a rock star in the car, by myself; unfortunately, my abilities disappear whenever someone is within earshot. Strange.) So, to my workplace bullies – you know who you are – “Some day, I’ll be, big enough so you can’t hit me. But all you’re ever gonna be is mean.”