Ohi

I was just standing at the urinal in the men's room, handling my business. Someone walked up to the one next to me and said, simply, "Howdy." This was unusual, but not unheard of. Being the friendly person I am, I turned to return the greeting. Only I realized it was the president of my company, visiting our office from headquarters today. Awkward. So awkward, in fact, that my stream was interrupted. So if I don't get promoted this year, I think we all know why.

***

I was at the oncologist on Tuesday, again handling my business. I go to Georgetown hospital, and it's always very busy, and I'm almost always 40 years younger than everyone else. They herd you into this giant waiting room, and they call you one at a time to check your vital signs. Not in an examination room, mind you, but in a cubicle right out there in the middle of everyone.

So I'm standing there on the scale, with the nurse about to check my temperature, when I notice a young woman I work with out of the corner of my eye. She's walking from the treatment rooms, and shes me and smiles. "Fancy meeting you here!" she says, and walks away quickly. Awkward. I had no idea she had cancer, and now I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that information. The next time I bump into her in the kitchen at the office, am I cleared to make cancer jokes? Or am I supposed to keep this a secret?