The girl who washed the shoes

My co-worker told me a disturbing story the other day. However, before we get to that part, let me share with you the back-story:

Recently we had some flooding in our city. Because of where I work, most of us – no, make that ALL OF US- were excepted to help clean up some of the flooded areas. One person in the office went everyday for a week and for most of the day and cleaned up mud, crud, crap (literally sh*t from overflowing toilets that was dripping from the ceilings onto her head in some places) among many other nasty things. She really went above and beyond in my opinion. This is also the same person that told me the story that I’m about to tell you.

One day, our big boss was down in the same flooded area where she was cleaning. OH! Before I go further, I have to tell you that she was in a bad accident and lost the full use of one of her arms. So, she is down there and so is the big boss with another big boss from a different department. I am sure that our big boss was bragging to the other big boss, “Look at all the hard work my people have done.” It came time for the two big boss’s to leave and our big boss calls over the lady that is telling me this story and our big boss asks her wash his muddy boots. That are still on his feet. As in, she had to kneel down in the mud, with her one useful arm and wash his boots. The tops. The sides. The underneath part. So that he wouldn’t dirty up the company SUV when he got back in.

She was sure that when he asked her to wash his boots, he was really just wanting her to hand over the hose so that he could rinse off his boots HIMSELF. Nope. She was down on her knees like Mary washing Jesus’ feet. And best part yet, he made her wash the other big boss’s boots too! Yep.

I was livid. I was embarrassed for her. I was ashamed that this person who makes triple what I make (or any of make for that matter!) and this is how he his subordinates.

I knew I didn’t like him from the start. Just something about the way he is always smiling, but it’s more like a smirk. He has this way about him that lets you know right away that he feels very few people are equal to him and if you work for him, you are not equal unless you are part of the chosen ones. He is the reason I wish I had gone ahead and gotten my Masters or PhD so that I could get to one or two levels above him so that I could one day have HIM washing my muddy boots on his freakin' knees.

And the absolute best part... when the big boss sent out a memo giving updates and thanking people, he didn't include the girl that washed his boots. Nope. The thanked others that I saw sitting around doing nothing. He thanked others that never picked up a brush and scrub one inch. Yep, he thanked his chosen ones, but not the girl that washed his boots while was kneeling in the mud and only using one arm.

This "boss", this person, this one person has brought me more sleepless nights, tears before bed and prayers of a job offer in another department than anyone in a long time. I don’t like smug. I really hate smug. And he is nothing but smug.

Do you think my boss was out of line having someone kneel in the mud to wash his boots and the boots of another supervisor? Do you have any horror stories about any of your bosses?