9th Oct
I have met Jason’s boss a couple of times at social functions his firm held and Jocelyn and I have always got on very well, so I had little hesitation ringing her and asking if I could meet her for lunch sometime next week. One of the things that have been a niggling concern is how regressing Jason to be my baby would affect his state of mind at work. Would he for example under stress start sucking his thumb, or would he forget when he had no nappy on and wet his trousers in front of his work colleagues? Would he be able to keep his two lives separate? I was eager to find out why he had been promoted.
We met at Big Julies Café and I could see that Jocelyn was curious about why I had asked to see her, but we both chatted about the weather and other inconsequential stuff and Jocelyn with the quiet patience that is characteristic of her waited. Once our food arrived and when we were comfortably into our meal I explained to her the purpose of this meeting. “The truth is Jocelyn, over the last six months there has been some changes at home between Jason and me, changes for the better I hasten to add, and I am curious about whether those changes at home also may have impacted at work and I wondered if you might tell me why Jason was given a promotion.”
Jocelyn looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before she gave a quiet smile. “Jason has always been a talented marketer Wendy, in fact he would have been promoted earlier except for the fact his team leaders, and he has had two now, have both commented on how difficult Jason found it to take direction. It may have been because they were in both cases women, it may have been because Jasons conscious that he shorter than most of the men and women in the office and was trying to compensate, I just don’t know. As I said Jason is talented, but in an organization that has a very collaborative style Jason’s relationships were often abrasive.” Encouraged by my nod of understanding she continued, “You see Wendy, in a team situation it’s just as important to listen as it is to give your point of view, and Jason was not good at listening especially to the women on the team. When he gave his opinion, which was often worth listening to, he gave it with a kind of,” – Jocelyn paused.
“Arrogance?” I said.
She laughed, “I was going to say superiority but arrogance fits very well.”
“So what has changed?” I said.
“Well over the last few months its as though he has had a revelation, he now listens respectfully to his team members especially women. When he offers his opinions it is with a new humility, even with the girls in the secretarial section he now uses the words please and thank you, and that was a rare occurrence. Don’t get me wrong Wendy, I am not saying Jason was a nasty person, he is often kind and generous but he is a different person now. Do I detect a wife’s hand behind this transformation?”
I smiled, “Perhaps more a Mummy’s hand,” I said.
Jocelyn looked puzzled for a minute, slowly nodded and smiled, the twinkle returning to her clear blue eyes, “Yes sometimes the answer to going forward is to go back, isn’t it.” There was another pause, “Well” she said briskly, “I must be getting back to the office. It has been nice meeting with you Wendy”
“Like wise” I said, “and Jocelyn do you mind if we keep our conversation confidential?”
“Of course my dear, and Wendy, well done!”
Sandra wanted a blow by-blow account of my conversation with Joe’s boss and of course I gave it. To say that we were both very pleased with ourselves is probably an understatement but for Sandra I think this conversation was particularly validating of her feminist views. She sees Joe’s promotion as another example of how most if not all men would benefit from being put back into nappies and put under the authority of a woman’s training again. Nursery therapy she called it.