Forgiving is not Forgetting

So about a year ago, I was working late when the phone rang. It was 7.30pm and I was the only person in the entire building. "Outstanding Work Ethic" or "Sad Person Without Much of A Life"?

You choose.

Short Round Colleague - for it was she on the other end of the phone - barely said hello before launching into a saga about standing outside the locked door, and could I bring down the pizzas she had accidentally left in the office fridge.

Now did I keep at the forefront of my mind the time she was a  TOTAL bitch to me, and pick one the following options:

(a) "why don't you whistle Dixie, moose-face?"

(b) "have you thought of having some carrot sticks instead? far fewer calories"

(c) "I hope your catching skills are in order, as I am lobbing them out of the window right now, hoping they will connect with your head".

Did I say any of these - I feel fairly justifable, in the circumstances - things.........??

No I did not. 

I said "yes, no problem! Of course I'll do that for you. Coming right down".

And thanks to me, she had her paws on two ginormous Meat Feasts within thirty seconds.

Short Round Colleague has moved on now, so strictly speaking she is an Ex-Colleague. But the incident still serves to demonstrate that I am entirely capable of being a reasonable, forgiving and adult human being - and that is what I endeavour always to be.

But this time it's different. What I have been subjected to is months of childish spiteful bullying, orchestrated by Attention Seeker. The only motive behind all this appears to be jealousy! Wow, it's been just like being back at school - and not in a good way.

 It's one thing to "forgive" the colleagues involved, in a necessary, spiritual, "liberating for oneself" manner. It is quite another to engage with them. After all, the classic definition of insanity is "doing the same thing and expecting a different result". So I still regard Certain People in the same way I would reptiles in a zoo.

Pop in to view them occasionally. Peer at them from a very safe distance. But Do Not Touch, and Never Attempt to Feed.