Subject: RE: Was I out of line?You posted this question on a tri site and a runners site and they told you that you did the right thing. However, if you posted this question on the "average office worker site" they'd probably tell you that you over-reacted. The thing is, while we all understand how the race is important to you and that you put a lot of time and effort into your training, to the rest of the world, it's "just a race." So the fact that you are right and justified in your feelings, still doesn't always make it right. Perception is reality and your co-workers' perception is probably that you over-reacted.
Incidents like this can take on a life of their own and by the time the story finishes circulating it may be, "Did you hear about the 'that guy' in accounting who threw his desk chair just because a woman coughed in his cubicle?"
In every job I've ever had in the corporate world, we've always made nervous jokes about which one of our co-workers would go off the deep end and show up at work with a gun. (BTW, I was always extra nice to "that guy" because I wanted him to like me. In case he ever did show up with a gun, hopefully he'd bypass my office! ) Anyway, you don't want to be known as "that guy" that people make jokes about. Just keep it in perspective. It REALLY IS "just a race". |