When Your Private Life Intertwines with Your Public Life, and Where to Draw the Line

[Anonymous]

When you are a person who likes staying active in the community, you wear two hats: you have your private life and you have your personal life, such as working in the private and public sector. When you live in the greatest city in the world, and volunteer with the greatest department in the world, all eyes are on you. Regardless of who you are, where you are and what you do.

Yesterday I was put in such situation. I wasn't feeling so hot yesterday morning so I did not want to go in and help my dept. But since I knew we were going to be short-staffed, I figured, I'd go in against my better judgement. Granted, it was a quiet night, but I went in anyway to help a fair that was on the private grounds of a 10-acre site like I have been for the past few years.

I did not expect to see someone I knew from 20 years ago. Granted, I stay in contact with them; I met her and her, dare I say, inebriated friends. She was with her young son. This is where the problem was seeding and growing. At what point does the price of your friendship and loyalty come into play here even though she treats you like a tool?

We had our own version of San Genaro. And I had to be the presence of the area, so it wasn't as bad, but I had to be on my A Game since there were 2 bosses present (even though I'm always on my A-Game).

Here comes my friend who is plastered. To boot, she had her 5 yr old son. She asks me to get a beverage of choice for her. Now at this time I know she was glazed over. So against my best judgement I took care of her.

She went to sit down with her friends who were in the same mental state as her. She was calling her mother to come get her son which I thought was a wise decision. She wanted to wait until I got off shift, but it would be a while.

Now her friends who were smashed wanted pictures with me and I didn't think anything of it, but if it's posted it can be in a bad light. Maybe it was against my better judgement but I figured what can go wrong?

I went to the main entrance to get her mother, and to the kiddie rides to retrieve her son, so I made sure she got in her mother's car as well as her son. I gave her my food to make sure she sobered up and 10 mins later, as I'm in the car, she throws it to the ground like nothing.

Now this woman has had her share of ups and downs, but when someone you know, who goes above and beyond for you and does something like that, not only puts you in jeopardy but also paints you in a bad light for helping her, something is wrong there.

I am the kind of person who wears his heart on his sleeve, and doing the job I do, I go above and beyond. Furthermore, she was someone I knew so I had to do the right thing. But to be slapped in the face like that makes me question: Should I put my neck on the line for someone I know who does something stupid, and makes me look bad? I think not.

This is where I just may cut my losses with her and just walk away from the whole situation.

22 years... down the drain...