Red Stripes For A Good Cause

This afternoon my boss walked in my office holding a pair of scissors and some red tape.

“Hey…do you want to tape your pens with red stripes?”

Hmm…this sounds more like a request than a question. I turn slowly and look at him really confused as he starts cutting the first small strip of tape.

I was slightly nervous because I didn’t know if I had forgotten something from the meeting this morning and this was some new and clever interrogation method to find out if I followed up on something I was supposed to be working on. Did I even hear him correctly? Did he say tape my pens or tape my pants? Why am I taping my pants!? Keep your cool…

I sheepishly replied, “um… tape what?”

“Tape your pens…with this red tape. Here you go.”

He hands me the first strip. I’m seriously confused but it’s the boss so I do it anyway.

“Why are we taping our pens? What is this… for a good cause or something?” I was thinking something like DARE or drug awareness…? You can tell my mind is working too hard at making sense of what’s going on.

“Yes, a very good cause.”

He starts cutting the second strip and explains to me that employee X does this to all his pens to distinguish which pens are his. He says employee X started doing it recently because apparently employee X has a problem with people thieving his pens from him.

My boss continues, “Every time he wants something signed he’ll leave his pen on my desk. Then later on in the day he’ll come back and say ‘hey! so you’re the one who stole my pen!…”

Wow, my boss is a genius. He hands me the last piece of red tape with a big smile.

“…and come Monday, everybody in the office will have the same pens.”

I can’t wait. Have a great weekend.