Karma Cleanser - August 16 2006
Will it come back to bite you?
Dear Karma Cleanser:
??
When I was 17, I drove my father’s truck (with a camper top) without permission. I sideswiped a pole while backing into a parking space, breaking the camper’s window and damaging the right-hand mirror. I said nothing. When my mom discovered the damage, she blamed my dad (who had glaucoma and was going blind), and she wouldn’t let him drive anymore. I felt horrible, but kept my mouth shut. Years later, after Dad passed away, I confessed my crime to my mother. She just hugged me and told me it was fine, because she’d been trying to get him to stop driving for months, to no avail. Even though Mom exonerated me, I still feel bad that I never told my father the truth. Should I?
?— Bad Daughter
??
Your father knew the truth all along, even if he was wrongfully convicted in the court of Mother Knows Best. Your wayward behavior inadvertently left a legacy of good.
??
Dear Karma Cleanser:
??
There is a love triangle going on in my office, and I don’t like it one bit. Alex, the legal counsel, is a shameless flirt. He’s got it in for my new admin assistant, Cara. But she has a boyfriend at home — plus, she’s also talking to a guy in sales, Pat. The thing did not affect me, except that I am now Cara’s boss, and I could order her not to date either one of these losers. It’s technically against company policy to date within the office. But if I crush someone’s budding true love, isn’t my karma screwed?
?— Match Breaker
??
Tell Cara to cool it. If her dalliances are making you uncomfortable, they’re likely affecting other folks in the office, as well. A conversation behind closed doors might assist your assistant’s long-term survival.
??
Been bad? karmacleanser@gmail.com.