it happens

We had a customer come in the other morning and get a smoothie.

"wheres my zuchinni loaf?" she asked quietly. Ruby, the girl who was on register, said "oh, I'm sorry, I didn't hear you ask for one."

"Don't worry I'll just take this up with Brandon" (the manager). Needless to say the lady was in a baaad mood. Turns out it was a jamba juice employees mother, and she called in a half an hour later to complain and try to get Ruby fired.

I went back to talk to my manager, and explained the woman was having a bad day and that I didn't even hear her order a zuchinni loaf (and its definitely not worth the time and energy of trying to get a 17 year old girl fired from her first job. she is working at 6 am! Give her a break! You'd think having a kid who worked here would make her more sympathetic. Whatever- her problem)

I went back there and explained this to Brandon. He cut me off before I was done and said "oh don't worry it was just so-n-so's mom". I asked if she got sassy with the employees often and he said "she's bipolar," his eyes wide and fingers outstretched, as if for dramatic effect.

"uhh...oh. so she doesn't take her meds?"
"no she is like really bipolar"
"right"

Naturally, I was automatically on the other side of the fence. What if Ruby really had been screwing around and totally forgot her order, making her late for work? Did she deserve to have her complaints ignored cuz shes bipolar, and then intimate details of her life exposed? (my boss had also included that her children didn't even live with her, and a few other very sad details.)

I felt really sympathetic when I heard my boss talk about her like she was THIS close to shoving a pencil in her own eye. I don't think I've ever been a MEAN person, and I know I've never wanted to get anyone fired, so I can't really relate to that. In my case I was so full of energy and ideas I wouldn't have even remembered going to Jamba Juice the second I got in my car; however, I do remember days when I couldn't even walk straight because I was thinking about a sock I left under my desk. I guess you never know, it is manic depression. The worst of both worlds.

A few of my coworkers know I'm bipolar. It came out in the natural flow of a conversation (I don't recall quite how but it did) and now they know. If they mention it to the bossman, is he going to feel like an idiot for the way he described a bipolar lady or is he going to give me less and less hours, to avoid an eyeball/pencil incident?

the world may never know...