If I don't allow him to talk to me that way, what makes you think you can?

When I got my voice
"Dammit he saw me," I thought and he called me over. I was 15, and when I got to him, he spoke ill about my mom. It was in anger, he didn't mean it but there it was. Nasty words hanging in the air about her, my mom. Not cool. Especially not to me. Without rehashing the gory details of our exchange I spoke back to my father that day. I got my voice. How dare he speak to me, his daughter, in that manner?

I did not stay shut and I ripped him a new one (disrespectfully, not my proudest moment). And when I turned 23 and he called me acting a fool, I ripped him another one. This time though, I did it in my most perfect Spanish to date and didn't mention anything but facts: I was 23, gainfully employeed, living on my own and have younger siblings 15-16yrs younger who needed a father. Go call them. They need you more.

We talk once in a while, I love him, he is after all my dad, but the truth hurts and it was about time he heard it.

The point: if I did not allow my father, the man who makes up 50% of my genetic makeup to talk to me any which way he wants; why would I allow you, seemingly nobody by comparison to my father, talk me like I am a piece of - nothing?

Yo no tengo pelo en la lengua (I don't have hair on my tongue) but I do have self-control. As a regular person, I really want to hurt your feelings but I won't. I already said that I would not make an already difficult corporate environment worse. The only thing I can say is: be careful who you take a funky tone with. Yo tengo educacion (I have been taught) and I won't talk back to you but the next person (or people) you hire can and will be a different story. (OD relationships)

The Reality
I am not special and I know that I can be replaced but don't think that the next employee will be anything like me or my coworkers. They won't have any reason to stop themselves. We are a resource, we are human capital! Do we cost you money? Of course, we don't work for free but, we are human nonetheless. We work hard to make sure your [dis]organization runs as smoothly as possible.

Employers!
Employers, please refrain from talking to regular employees as if we are less than you or like we are your children. Why can't we work and have some dignity too?

Sincerely,
~Cher

Sent from my iPhone