Questionable discussions

I've spent the last couple of days whining and complaining about nearly everything that crossed my path. Like a child tugging on her ear, I should have realized that illness was settling in. Now, I know many of you are accustomed to my cynical and sarcastic method of writing. I do try to weave in humor when I'm bitching and moaning; yet, it's so easy to become settled in that mindset and not get out.

What struck me too close to home is expressing joyfulness for absolutely no reason while at work and being accused of being drunk or high. Naturally they didn't really think I was under the influence, but clearly such jovial behavior isn't what they typically see. In my defense, that's a crock of shit. I'm happy a lot of the time, but people tend to ruin the moment with their stupidity. I have a lot of contempt for my job and I don't know why. Let's blame stagnation in order to remove blame from any one specific person whose mere existence annoys me to no end.

I need to remove my personal feelings towards many people in my life. I'm forced to have them in my life due to circumstances of employment. It's difficult when you only want to do your job, collect a paycheck and get the hell out of dodge when your shift is over. As I said, I do not befriend everyone with whom I work.

A good friend presented me with a situation in her place of employment. It's a small group of people and it's not uncommon for people to discuss their personal lives. It's normal. But there are lines that seem to be crossed with a particular person of authority. While she shared her quandary with me, I had to evaluate my own situation at work. In doing so, a lot of "things that make you go hmmmm" came up.

Here's a question, how does one go about telling a person of higher position that you do not want to learn about their personal life ... particularly knowledge that said higher position person is spending the night with a new companion or how much new companion spends on her or him? While the rest of us are struggling in a recession, I find it in poor taste and inappropriate bragging. Surely this person has friends outside of work to share these details. Why, WHY!? do people equate happiness and affection with the amount spent on them?

I'm a little off track. I'll come back to the money = affection scenario in another post.

What I do want to know is how would you handle this matter? Have you ever been in a situation where your boss person shares more information than you ever wanted to learn? Do you respect a person who is in a position of authority when they spend more time discussing how many Benjamins were doled out on their behalf while they should be discussing how business is slagging? Have you ever been called at home by your boss only to realize the work related question was nothing more than a ruse and a means to talk about themselves?

In my naturally snarky manner, I would advise my friend to tell her boss person that she sounds like a gold digging tramp and needs to keep the business in the work place and keep her private life just that. I would feel justified in speaking to her in such a manner by saying, "You're crossing the line of work and pleasure. When you talk to me about your personal life, I no longer see you as my boss but a gossiping trollop and I expect no retaliation for this reaction. I am hereby asking you cease this line of sharing. You and I are not friends. Please, check your personal life at the gate." Obviously such a comment would probably send the boss person into a frenzied pouting session and leave my friend feeling like the bad guy when she'd be speaking for the whole in her expression.

At what point would you call upon human resources for intervention? Would you ask for a meeting with the offending person and a 3rd party in order to keep it 'in house'?