Joe knew he’d messed up.

The large warehouse hid Joe most of the day, he found reasons to get lost far back in the hangar-sized complex.

When Joe sat down with his supervisor, he was surprised how hurt and stern his childhood friend was towards him. “Joey, I can’t tell you how disappointed I am in you”. Joe couldn’t get that out of his head, he felt bad, worse in fact than the mistake itself.

Now here he was, cornered by a receptionist. "Joseph, I need to say something, I’m really disappointed in you—

“Not again” Joe said to himself.

Sue continued. —I feel like"…

Then silent Joe finally spoke. “I haven’t given you permission to be disappointed in me.”

Joe could hear the sound of her brow crunch, as if she was witnessing a complex magic trick. She jolted. “Joe, I, I, d- don’t know…What do..what do you mean?”

He continued, “And why would you want to take that on, why would you want that agonizing responsibility? I haven’t done anything to you, I choose who I want to be proud of me.”