Belt that shifted the balance of power

Yesterday, the balance of power between me and my boss tilted towards my side. It was a seemingly innocent device which caused the shift in balance; a belt. Before you get your creative juices working overtime, let me assure you, I was not holding the belt with an intention to whip him. In fact, my boss had the belt in his possession. It was holding his trousers in place. But, it was my belt!

You either forget something at home or at hotel. This has been one of the flipsides of travelling. Likewise, my boss had forgotten to take his belt. He was getting ready in full regalia for an important customer meeting when he realized his folly. He had forgotten to pack an appropriate belt for the occasion. We were staying in the same hotel. As I had two belts, I lent him mine. If you are thinking why do I carry two belts while travelling, I have a simple answer. One for the casual wear (read jeans) and the other for the formal wear. Both are black in color. Stop thinking now and don’t ask me why I have two in the same color.

I was engulfed in optimism for the entire day. Today, my boss can’t put me in a spot. The reverse can happen. This gave me a boost of confidence and an air of superiority. Today, he cannot find any fault with my work. If I am plagued with faults, who is he to criticize? After all, he could not even remember a simple thing as a belt! If things were getting out of hand, I could always ask him to return the belt then and there. When he returns belts, how long will his trousers hold?

There can be consequences for this line of logic. He may get extremely pissed off. This will eventually result in me frantically searching for a new job. But isn’t the joy of humiliating the boss worth it?

Finally, better sense prevailed. I decided to keep quiet and played out these fantasies in my mind. Today, he returned the belt.

Picture Courtesy: http://image.made-in-china.com

Tags: Musings,Boss,Belt