Small poppies ruined my Chrissie party

Dear Aunty B,

I feel like shooting myself. At our Christmas party, I was told that I was “born with a silver spoon in my mouth”, was successful because “I had a lucky break” and was a “tight bastard” because I would not run a tab at the pub at the after, after party. A few also made disparaging comments about the new house I am building “near” Potts Point. (My new house is miles away.)

I know they were just having fun and they are a loud, forthright bunch, but there was an underlying tone to it all that made me really uncomfortable.

Any thoughts? It ruined my night.

Bruce M,
Sydney

Dear Bruce,

You poor thing. There, there. Come and have a rest on my broad shoulders because Bruce, we all feel for you. There you are working your long hours, worrying about paying the blighters night after night and then they have a go at you. Worse, it’s at the Christmas party!

Now you must forget about it. It’s just tall poppy stuff that was imported from England along with Cook and the convicts. Snide remarks about wealth come with the territory.

You say yourself they are a loud, forthright bunch. Good on you. It sounds like you have created a robust culture where people are not shy to say what they think.

But Bruce, it’s clear you are not whinging enough. Next year, try complaining about the terrible long hours you work so you can pay their salaries and how bad the stumping is in your new house.

You are also suffering from the “us and them” syndrome that also gets highlighted at the Christmas party. You want to join the fun – but they are telling you loud and clear that you are still the boss and you are feeling that isolation. Again, that is common at Christmas.

So Bruce, cheer up. Concentrate on the great year it has been and start to focus on 2008.