Pic: Rinderzimmer is a made up word. It´s Kinderzimmer for the kid´s room, and Rind is a cow. Sadly we can´t go no more to steakhouse El Gaucho, two times in a row with an over 6-months-break the steaks were not yummy at all. But the card is still fun, no?
Oh, in case you wonder (like I did) why the card is not succinct with the sticker... the other side of the door:
Very early, before my colleagues arrived, R´s friend and colleague (and my customer) M came into my office.
Only then did I realise I haven´t seen him for quite a while.
He told me he´s signed sick till the end of March for now.
Not due to his knee-problems.
Burn-out.
And his daughter has borderline-syndrome.
He sees psychologists and all.
Holy crap, I really didn´t know what to say, why does he tell me that?!
He went quite into detail, too, spoke of being mobbed by some even.
Really?! We´ve been such a great team once.
This is his last year, he´s (only) 59.
Yes, working directly at VW is cool, huh? So far us normal guys will have to work till age 67.
I met a bus-driver in Perth in 2006 who told me he´s 72 even!
Anyhows, dunno why, it really teared me down.
Later R came by to let me know coffee is ready, so I went over for a chat.
He asked what´s wrong with me and since they are friends I just told him M´d been here.
Funny enough he only payed me a visit, not his friend R.
R said, now knowing I know, yeah, don´t take it that serious.
Crazy.
Aren´t those recognized illnesses?
Is M just faking it all?
And how can R know?
The devil sits in the detail, I guess...
Soccer-star Robert Enke for example suffered depression and committed suicide, leaving wife and a very young daughter behind. You would´ve thought he must be a happy man, but obviously it doesn´t matter if work and family is all good?
I really have no clue. I hope I handled the situation with M properly.
And I hope I or someone I love will never suffer like that (again).
3 comments:
Sometimes I think we make a mistake when we say the simple words 'how are you'.. some people do like to over-share :) You handled it perfectly Iris. I think a lot of people think depression is something in the imagination but I believe it's a very real thing for the sufferers.
That colleague said he has a burnout, but reckon this falls in the same category, right, Grace?
I have someone in my family who was suffering depression and came to me. All I could do in the end was suggesting therapy, which worked. It was so hard to see, I felt so helpless.
See, blogging helps, now I know why it teared me down so much! Even after all those years these feelings were still very present!
Just having someone who will listen is all that's needed.
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