Before...

Yesterday I had a conversation with an attorney who told me about a co-worker of hers who is a psychopath.  The stories were great, the woman claims she is soul mates with George Clooney (although not sure HE knows this), and she just got a lead in a movie.  She claims to have been in the military, and conducted covert actions as a navy SEAL.

She is an office clerk,  although she has made threats to take a gun, which she has access to, and kill herself in the building, she remains an employee as she works for a state agency. Apparently, this behavior is not enough to merit termination.

Honestly, this is really the only thing I miss the most of working in an office, because in every office there is that one person who has stories of other incarnations as a drug runner,  snow board Olympian, or shrimp boat captain.  At first the tales of a life before subjected to making sure there is enough photocopy toner are accepted, yet it isn't long before you do the math, and accept it to be improbable that a person could have a career which spanned competing as a monster truck driver, a professional scuba diver and the assistant to the head file clerk in the asbestos claims department.

I don't miss the politics of working among others and the inevitable petty competitions, yet there are times I just want to hear a really good story about traveling through eastern Europe as a competitive poker player, before giving it all up to live a more modest life in West Covina as a Walmart greeter. 

I understand and accept the innate dangers which go along with these people, as at some point there will be a disaster in the life of this individual which will require a "loan",  for which you will never be repaid, and when the person comes to work one day showing off the multicolored tattoo which covers the entire back, you will feel resentment.  It is one of the pit falls, but in the end, worth the investment.

I'm envious of these people.   I tend to play down any of my "accomplishments",  yet I remain proud of my stint as a fighter pilot...that was before I was a jockey.