Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Oh, the power of guilt

At work one of our co-workers put out a dish of M&M’s. She didn’t ask for any compensation. When it was depleted, she filled it, and we ate as we walked by. This had been the pattern for the last 3 weeks. I was feeling guilty so I purchased three bags and brought them in. I felt it was the least I could do for my indulgences.

I couldn’t find the pastels that my co-worker bought and I could only find “Shrek” M&M’s in “Ogre” size. I purchased them and when I got to work, I placed the bags on her desk, to assuage my guilt.

When she arrived, she had a grocery bag filled with M&M’s as well. I felt I was too late, she had purchased more, but at least I had done my part!

Another co-worker arrived and he was bearing gifts of more M&M’s with the comment “God, I’m munching on them all the time. I was starting to feel guilty myself."

I wonder if someone could put a dish out in a heavy trafficked area, purchase some seed candy, and let guilt fill the bowl after that? Maybe that was the experiment with my co-worker from the beginning.

2 comments:

NikPow! said...

Take it from the gal who has the candy dish on her desk...it's for one of a few reasons:

1) So when you are in a bad mood it will cheer you up a bit.

2) When I'm in a bad mood you will be able to handle it better with a little sweetness.

3) It's a conversation starter with the cute UPS guy.

4) They are great uses for defense...throw them at people who are attacking us...or just people we don't like.

5) Because if I'm going to be fat, so are you darnit! EAT EAT EAT.

Jeffrey said...

Maybe it was continued by guilt but how much better would it be to continue to fill it with love and teamwork even though that is a rare thing. You never know