Expect the unexpected if you’re a coworker of mine
I’ve mentioned before that Nikki’s daycare requires that you take your shoes off at the door before entering the classroom. This is to keep you from tracking crap in that the children will inevitably find before the teacher does and put it in their mouth to choke on. If you don’t want to take your shoes off? They provide hospital booties for you to put over your shoes. If you don’t want to do that either? The flog you in the courtyard for all of the kids to see.
Or something like that. I can’t remember the exact rules.
Today, one of my supervisors/coworkers came by my office and said, “Hmm. This is a new thing for you to do.” I turned around and saw him standing at the door, looking down at my shoes sitting outside the door, in the hall. I didn’t even realize I had done that. I kick my shoes off under my desk all the time, but obviously my daycare brain wasn’t completely turned off when I came back from feeding Nikki last time. I just left my shoes by the door like I do at her classroom. I tried explaining that to my coworker, but it didn’t really make me look any better.
Having a reason behind your brain fart doesn’t make the brain fart itself go away.
Damn Alabama Department of Human Resources. We have to do the exact same thing at Mr. Cheek’s school. A few weeks ago, they were having a party for the director who was taking a new position. I went in and picked my kid up, kicking off my shoes at the door. I got him and then I started walking down to the greeting space of the church, and about halfway there I realized I never put my shoes back on.
It’s sad, but I make shoe choices in the morning based on how easy they are to get off. I hate those booties. They don’t even put them out for me anymore, just TP.
Just tell them that you are emersing yourself in Japanese culture.
Living the bush like I do, we ALWAYS take our shoes off because otherwise you’d get the carpet wet in the winter, from all the snow, and in the spring and summer from all the mud. Every village I’ve lived in Alaska is like this. In fact, most homes at least in the rural areas have an “Arctic Room”, you go through before you go into the actual house. ANYWAY, when we fly back every year to see our family in the real world, it’s still a habit. I cringe everytime I walk on carpet with my shoes on now. People look at me funny too. Oh well. Old habits die hard.
Now THAT is funny. And now that you have done it once… I am sure you will do it many more times.
But use your “fart” to your advantage… “Well Supervisor please note that I am being conscientious of the carpeting… and trying to save this company money.”
(Of course then you will have to wipe the brown from your nose!)