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That time a coworker joked about mental health and I still don't know how to feel about it
We were in the break room at the gym I work at, about three months ago. Tom was ranting about his wife's anxiety meds, then laughed and said 'people just need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.' I froze with my water bottle halfway to my mouth. He saw my face and said 'oh come on, you can't take a joke anymore?' I just walked out. Has anyone else had that moment where you're not sure if you're being too sensitive or if the line actually moved?
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shane_hayes10d ago
Yeah that "can't take a joke" thing is just a way to shut down the conversation. The line didn't move, he just crossed it.
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john_fisher10d ago
Told him flat out that joke wasn't funny and why. I said something like "Man, my sister has been fighting depression for years and hearing that kind of stuff makes me want to clock people." He looked uncomfortable for a second but then actually apologized. Said he didn't realize how deep that stuff hit people. We ended up having a real conversation about it and he hasn't made a joke like that since. Sometimes people just need to see how their words land on someone who's actually been through it.
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