Of the many jobs I have had in my life, there has always come a point where it seems I have been singled out for one reason or another. When it was for something favorable, I was told that it was for a job well done and that I deserved it for my efforts. Other times, when I was somehow being treated less than fairly, I was told it was “nothing personal”. Eventually, being the sort of person that believes in fair play, I would find a way to “even the score, never forgetting to mention to the receiving party that it was “nothing personal”. Make no mistake, it is always personal.
In high school, I was a member of a team that won the state championships twice. I attended Junior Olympic Camp. In my freshman year I was told by the coach that I was not going to receive my varsity letter in order for a senior to achieve that distinction, even though I attended every practice, every meet, and competed on the varsity squad when the senior in question did none of those things. I was told it was just tradition, that it was nothing personal. When I was a senior, the coach made his son, a junior, the team’s captain. I walked out and never returned. The “new” coach called me to his office and asked why I left the team. I told him if he didn’t know, then he should ask the head coach about tradition and that my leaving was nothing personal. They did not win the state title that year, needless to say.
When I was working in casino surveillance, I had a bit of a problem living with the hypocrisy that existed within the management structure. After several years of written time sheets, a time clock was instituted. A memo was issued about “dropping” time cards for other people; it was forbidden. I had been relegated to grave shift supervisor for professional reasons, nothing personal. One morning, very early in the morning, the Director of the department called into the office and told me he was on site. “Good to hear that, sir.” I said. “Drop my time card for me,” he said. “Oh, I can’t do that sir, there’s a policy against that. Nothing personal, but I take such professional matters seriously.” I quipped. I remained on grave shift until I resigned. He was fired a short time after that for embezzling. Seems some one provided the executive office with copies of invoices pre-dating phony “bids” for outside contractors for work that was never done.
When I was rebuilding my home, an electrical contractor kept delaying the project at key points in the process, eventually holding up my certificate of occupancy. This contractor said he had so many projects going that it was just a matter of time before he got to mine and that it was nothing personal. Meanwhile I learned that he hoped to sell his business if he got a better job elsewhere. Oddly, someone not only made sure that he did NOT get that other job, but they also told his workers that he was selling the business any time, so they had better be ready for it, prompting his lead electrician to quit and leave for another company. A short time later he was out of business. I believe that was totally personal.
When someone calls my office and says they prefer to work with a female therapist and that it is “nothing personal”, I think they are full of crap. It is completely personal, and ignorant on their part. Sometimes you get fed that line of crap one too many times. Don’t ever let anyone tell you it is not personal. It is always personal.
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