Ask Emily: Learn from mistakes
By Casey Gillis on May. 08, 2008
Dear Emily: I started a new job a month ago, and yeah, I have made my share of mistakes while learning the way this office works, but my boss seems to handle things in a ridiculous fashion. If I do something simple wrong, like use a wrong form or something, he sends me an e-mail to let me know, but he sends it to his two bosses as well, letting everyone know what I did! Am I being petty or is my boss overreacting?
- Work worries
Dear Work worries: Typically, employers expect new hires to get familiarized around the office in three to six months. Your boss may be acting a little bit in haste with his e-mails, but on the other hand, your “simple” mistakes may not be as trivial as you think. As such, your boss may be trying to cover his own back in case these errors are serious. So while you feel like your boss is throwing you under a bus, he may have good reasons for his actions. Your best course of action is to learn from your mistakes (quickly) and keep records of your improvement.
Dear Emily: What is a good age to let my daughter get her ears pierced? “Sherry” is 9 years old and desperately wants to get earrings, but I think she is still too young.
- Apprehensive parent
Dear Apprehensive parent: It really depends on your daughter. A child definitely needs to be responsible enough for this. In order to avoid infection, she’ll need to diligently clean her ears twice a day. Plus, she needs to be mature enough to make this decision for herself, not because everyone else at school is doing it. Also, consider that infections can be painful if she did get one, and you don’t want a young girl to experience this needlessly. That said, ages 10 to 13 seem to be popular ages for ear piercing.
Dear Emily: I have a friend, “Colleen,” whom my friends and I call “The Chameleon.” She always takes on the personality of whatever guy she is dating. The type of music she likes, the movies she watches and the things she does always revolve around a guy. It’s not healthy, and it’s quite irritating. Not to mention, right now she is dating a real jerk, and I’m worried how this will affect Colleen’s personality. Should I say something to her or just hope the next guy is nicer?
- Bad boyfriend behavior
Dear Bad boyfriend behavior: It’s just like Julia Roberts in “Runaway Bride.” Do you know how Colleen likes her eggs (see movie for reference)? Your friend is in danger of never knowing who she really is or never quite feeling comfortable in her own skin. She needs to accept who she is and embrace the things she likes, not the things she thinks everyone else wants her to like. So try and help Colleen out. Talk to her about her nickname, and her behavior, and get her to see what she is doing. Convince her that it is OK to be herself, and that her friends (and any good boyfriend) will love her no matter what.
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