One part saccharin, One part bitch

One of my favorite people at work is being let go.
Her sales haven't been high enough and the department hours have been running scarce so my ray of loving sunshine is sadly no more.
She is also, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the nicest person that works in my department.
I'm certain that if I created a survey and all the lipstick peddling ladies were to compose a list of the women they thought would get fired or the women they wished would get fired my friend would not be on anyone's list.
She is quite possibly the sweetest person I've ever met.

She also secretly has a naughty girl bad ass bitchy side full of all kinds of secrets that only a few select people, including myself, knows about.

Which is one of the many reasons I adore her.

She is one part saccharin and one part bitch.
Only her bitch part wasn't great enough to keep her balanced in the wonderful world of commission.
It's a dame take dame kinda world out there and if you don't have the kind of hunger and greed to drive your success, others will trample over you to get it themselves.
If, by contrast, the bitch part out weighs the saccharin part then enemies are formed, spies planted, whisperings trickle from ear to ear until you're back in some tiny office being told you're disliked by the entire department and as a result your livelihood is at stake.

Being a woman, working with women, in any arena, even merely socially networking with women, is a personality dance more intricate and exhausting than the ones performed with our lovers.
We have SO many people to try and please.
And rarely, if ever, do we even allow ourselves to be on that list.

Realizing the nicest girl at work could get fired got me thinking about how difficult it is to survive anything these days.
You have to be kind enough to have friends, to be liked by the people you're forced to interact with everyday.
But you also have to be strong enough to stand up for yourself and not end up getting pushed around by more dominant, alpha personalities.
All while standing up straight, looking lady like and still daring to disagree with injustice.
So long as it's done in hushed tones.
Naturally.

I remember once going on a trip with a bunch of women I didn't know.
Around these here parts I'm known for having a pretty strong personality.
Shocking, I know, considering the waves of hate being delicately driven towards my temples, as of late.
But around these supra alpha girls I seemed about as meek as a doped up bunny.

It's incredible how different things can seem when you change your perspective.

I glanced at my card case the other day and specifically thought, I wish I knew someone I could give this to.
I was planning on purchasing a new one and realized along with my many dated dresses and friendships, I'd out grown it.
But for the life of me I couldn't think of anyone who might like it.
Tonight, over champagne cocktails, I whipped out the very card case to pay for my indulgence and my dear friend cooed in awe over its sparkly magnificence.
I knew instantly who should have it and handed it over immediately.
Her shock and appreciation was only merely rivaled by our waitress when I notified her she'd forgotten to charge us for our dessert.
"Thank you for being so honest," the waitress replied, updating our bill to the correct amount.

Contrary to my notoriety I actually am one part saccharin too.
But only a few, select people are privy to such a startling reality.