All the Dirt...at Work

1. Do you (or is it appropriate to) talk about your kids/marriage/dirty laundry at work?


2. A favorite recipe

One of the things I love about my job is that it's very relationship-oriented.  Really, that's one thing that sets our gym apart from others - it's personal.  Our members form close friendships with the staff and each other.  Their time at the gym is for working out, but it's also for destressing, "girl talk," and getting things off their chest.  We often joke that it's not just a workout, but a therapy sesson, too, and for some members, our gym is the only place they get that time to talk with other women.

Because we are so close, we talk about our lives...a lot.  What it boils down to is that we're all in each other's business!  My boss and I were laughing just this week about how much we all know about each other.  With that kind of platform, I do share a lot about my life.  The members, and my coworkers, have been my cheerleaders through the ups and downs of returning to college.  A few ladies that I'm very close to have also been sounding boards and prayer partners for the situation with my parents that I'm dealing with.

That said, although we are very open, there are some things that are off limits.  I don't get too personal when it comes to my marriage - for instance, I don't walk in and tell them if I had a fight with my husband that morning.  I'm also closed when it comes to discussing church or work issues in any way.  I don't share a lot about that, just very, very general information.  As a rule, I try to stick with life in general, college, and my kids...trust me, they provide many entertaining stories that keep the women at work almost rolling on the floor with laughter.

I think it really depends on where you work...in an atmosphere like the one I work in, you're almost expected to share all your dirt.  In other places, it's totally inappropriate.  I'm really glad that work can be a sounding board for me.