Personal Narrative-A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing At some point in life it is inevitable to be faced with an emotional situation in which you are blessed that you can’t respond immediately. This may be due to time, distance, or some other circumstance that prevents you from being able to act on your gut reaction. Such is the case when I was deployed for a month-long work assignment in Scotland. My beloved boss Bill did what he had been threatening to do for the last four years, retire. I knew it would happen at some point and time. Nonetheless, when it did, the eight-hour time change between Phoenix and Glasgow was a blessing in disguise. The time difference allowed time for me to think and respond versus not think and react. This was especially important because

Although Masha was foreign born, I have never claimed that her birthplace had any influence over how she behaved within our team, nor how she treated me and others. People are who they are. With that said, Masha had a behavioral disposition I had not previously encountered. A smile on her face could mean many things. For most people, a smile indicates pleasure or happiness. This was not the case with Masha. A smile from Masha in public was mostly a façade. In private, her smile was an insincere mechanism she utilized before unleashing a torrent of verbal daggers. Daggers not designed to kill, but to emotionally hurt and harass the receiver. To keep a decent working relationship with Masha, it was imperative to be able to recognize when the verbal onslaught would occur. To do that, I had to be able to recognize when and how her verbal and non-verbal indicators changed from charming to challenging. When that shift happened, often in the blink of an eye, I had to be prepared. There was always an undercurrent of tension. This was much like looking out at a calm sea yet knowing a deadly undertow laid below. I had to be prepared at any time. I had to learn to manage my own emotions when I was plunged into the sea. I needed to be self-aware and not let my limbic system rule. I needed to be the master of my own emotions. I needed to think before I responded so I could begin to defuse the