Mental Health Day

I just love Mental Health Days! That is to say, I love my mental health. Which is why after only one day in the first circle of hell... I mean... at the office... I told my boss that I was taking a Mental Health Day today.

I was kind of shocked really. He didn't ask for a full itinerary of my plans for the day or three methods of communication on the off chance they needed to contact me. He didn't remind me to put up my "Where Are You" sign. He didn't even ask me why I needed the day off or tell me to "coordinate my daily tasks with my A/P partner to make sure everything is covered" like he does with everyone else. He just said, "sounds good" and told me to have a good day. Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Anal-Retentive Timeclock Nazi?!?

I suppose in all fairness, the last time I told him that I was taking a Mental Health Day, he did ask me if everything was okay. I burst into uncontrollable tears and wailed, "I JUST NEED A FREAKIN' DAY OFF, OKAY?!?" This was before my shrink got my medications regulated and I was borderline checking into the loony bin. So yeah... I can see where he might have been having flashbacks of Bipolar Girl and didn't want to relive that wonderful moment in our working relationship. But still... After recent events at the office, his eagerness to let me leave had me slightly suspicious. I have my theories, of course...

• He's adding up my demerits so he can fire me or demote me upon my return. They seem to do that quite a bit up there. I know of several people who came back to the office after being out who were either fired for failure to pre-plan their illnesses, or who came back from vacation only to discover someone else sitting in their desk and to learn that they were now part of the janitorial staff.

• Perhaps Bipolar Girl is rearing her head more prominently than I realize and he's frightened of me. Sure, I'm only 5'1" and a good foot shorter than he is, but Bipolar Girl is scary. She goes from crying hysterically over her flat Diet Coke to severe rage that someone is looking at her for crying to laughing uncontrollably at her irrational behavior... all within a matter of seconds. So if Bipolar Girl is coming back, I can see where he might want to have me out of shooting distance. :-)

• He respects my "no-nonsense, tell-it-like-I-see-it" approach. (Yeah, right :-) I always tell him exactly what I think, whether he likes what I have to say or not. You'd think it would get me into trouble, but it seems to have the opposite effect. Shoot! Sometimes he even comes to me and asks me what I think! Maybe he respects the fact that I tell him when I'm taking off, rather than asking permission. Why ask permission when I'm going to take the day off no matter what he says? I'd just call in "sick" if he said no, and he knows that. I suppose, rather than lose that battle, he just says "sounds good" so he feels like he made the decision in the end. :-)

Whatever the reason for his completely out-of-character reaction to my demand for a mental health day, I won't worry about it. I'll just lounge around the house in my pj's and enjoy the day. I guess we'll find out tomorrow if I'm still the Accounts Payable Coordinator or if I've been demoted to Towel Girl in the women's restroom. But until then... I'm "mentally-healthy" and feeling gooooood! :-)