It has been months since I have even approached this topic. Ya know, the one about that pressing conflict with my co-worker that grated on my nerves.
I opened the can of worms back in September, and then I fell quiet about it.
I am good at avoiding the difficult conversations I suppose. Especially in this particular case where our sessions with our therapist, Mary, turned out to reveal that I was wrong and she was right.
I hate it when that happens, don’t you?
As it turns out, according to Mary, I WAS pushing my co-worker’s buttons to the point of ruining things.
In all fairness, I just thought she was being too sensitive. But apparently, I was unaware of how my actions were being interpreted.
For those just catching up, I am once again talking about my relationship with co- worker Cuisey, my food processor.
This time has taught me that if I want her to react rationally and not rip our projects to shreds, I have to communicate with her in a way she understands. Like most relationships, she reacts to what I do, not just what I think I am saying or doing.
So these last few months we have done the hard work. Our days have been filled with a little practice… okay a lot of practice and we slowly began learning how to communicate with one another- little by little.
Our first breakthrough came when I started listening to Mary’s (our therapist) advice via the dvd that came in the box with ole Cuisey. (Below is an example of one of her therapy sessions.)
Slow Not Steady
In one of the videos, Mary explained to me that over processing (pushing buttons for too long) tends to be an issue for folks like me.
She helped me understand that the pulse button (in lieu of the “on” button) was my friend and a great way for me to get to know Cuisey… Especially when using the chopping blade.
Ah that blasted chopping blade. It was a very sore spot for Cuisey and I, particularly when it came to chopped onions or bell peppers. After a lot of fighting, things usually turned to mush in no-time flat.
Mary taught us to slow down. Pulse a little at a time and things started getting better with practice.
Another tip she had was to make sure all the pieces were uniform in size. So I started quartering my onions evenly and making sure my bell pepper pieces started out relatively the same size and it made a lot of difference.
Tell It To Me Straight
Mary also shared with me the Cuisey was a straight talker… particularly when it comes to slicing up the conversation (or a potato or two).
When slicing, Mary said it made all the difference to cut a flat edge on my potatoes, lemons, etc., lay the edge directly on the blade and then apply pressure while cutting. What a difference that made! It was like Cuisey was a whole new person… a person I could work with.
The following days were filled with some ups and downs… and a recipe that changed everything.
To be continued…
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