Ok 'YOU LOT':
Don’t pretend that you didn’t ask for more of this BS (Bonkers Silliness). Haven’t you all got better things to do whilst getting on with the serious business of surviving PMR and / or GCA? As always, I blame You Lot for inflicting serious Mirth on yourselves via these ramblings from a ‘Full Monty’ PMR sufferer that anyone in their right mind would ignore - or, maybe even better, report to the relevant Authorities.
For my part: I, too, should be getting on with far more important endeavours in my life: e.g. building on my (now) World Class collection of 293 Faux Leather storage containers (snaffled in charity shops over the past 2 years), endlessly polishing and un-necessarily re-polishing my beloved car, and generally being a bit of a nuisance to my N&D - all of which activities are ultimately futile in Life's Big Picture, but which I enjoy immensely in the meantime. That's my story and I'm sticking to it 
However, I couldn't resist your many desperate and impassioned pleas for more Mirth here: and so, with generosity of Heart, I have put my precious life on-hold once again to feed your equally Bonkers imaginations with another Post. Why do I do this? My Therapist will probably tell me - so long as I pay my outstanding bill with her very soon. If I don't, it's back to the Self Help books (of which I now have 200 - again, snaffled from the charity shops) ;-/
Ok here goes:
You might have read my last Post (sounds like an epitaph - or maybe the UK Royal Mail 5.30 postal collection?) about a sudden and truly astonishing, positive turnaround in my PMR symptoms. And all that, having broken the eminently sensible Rules about steroid tapering. Oh well, breaking the Rules is story of my life, for better or worse (usually worse).
To quote a certain US President, and as someone who also asks “WHAT THE ****’S GOING ON HERE?!” (even when things are going well), I decide to call-up the Adrenal Guyz* to get their side of the internal dynamics of our very large and complex Organisation - and after a long and awkward stand-off between all of us.
Disclaimer (but seriously..) As I write this I am conscious of the need to be politically ‘correct’ and avoid any implied gender (female / male) stereotypes in my writings and characterisations here. So: ‘Ade’ could be Adele (f) or Adrian (m). ‘Des’ could be Desmond (m) or… er…. (f). (I’ll come back to you later on that one..). As for the term ‘Guyz’ - this is now commonly used in business and corporate life, regardless of f / m gender. Personally, I don’t relate to it, but maybe I’m old fashioned? Either way, and for all followers here - regardless of gender identity or preference - all I can say is: use your imagination and decide for yourselves who ‘Ade’ and ‘Des’ are in your context 
So, back to the Plot. I connect with Ade and Des immediately:
MB (sheepishly, but with best efforts to sound up-beat): Hi GUYZ! All feeling very GOOOOD at HQ. How are things in the Adrenal Department?! It’s been a long time… sorry…
Ade (non-committally): Hey Dude, er, Boss. We, er, Me and Des - are COOL. Things are cool. It’s all cool… (goes silent but hums a melody from an R.E.M. album).
As a Human Communication Consultant, I’m aware of some reticence from Ade to expand on the details, even though seemingly happy. So, I deploy my well-practised Consultative Questioning skills to elicit more from him / them. It’s in all of our interests after all..?
MB (adopting organisational lingo): Yay, that’s cool too Dude! (empathically humming the R.E.M track also). So, what’s going with you Guyz?! Whaasupp?!!
Des (nervously): Boss, sorry but we’ve er, done an Inside Deal with, er, the other Departments here. Sorry again, but we had to go over your ‘pretty’ head on this one (giggling mirthfully). Well, ‘under’ your head to be precise (now giggling uncontrollably).
MB: (pleased - but as the Boss, probing in ‘Management Speak’): Ok Guyz, let’s square the circle, push the envelope, do some blue-sky thinking and all that s**t?
Ade & Des (in unison): Last week we messaged the Pituitary Guyz, the Hippopotamus Guyz, and the Thyroid Guyz. It’s been a long time, so we met-up for a Pizza and a few beers and did some Blue Sky thinking. It was LUSH! But, sorry, we used YOUR brain for the Learning Activity…. (followed by another awkward silence).
MB (tentatively, fearing a Management Coup): Ok, what’s the Bottom Line Guyz?
Ade & Des: Ok Dude, er, ‘Boss’, here’s the Deal. We, the PG, HG and TG Guyz agreed that the organisation was being ‘Disrupted’ by an internal Competitor. We were like ‘OMG’ and ‘WTF?!!’. (Again, awkward silence).
Me: So, who’s THAT, and what’s the score?
Des (excitedly): It’s those AI (Auto-Immune) Dudes. They’re like Crazy, man - like Well-Fit, AND pumped-up on Steroids. Those Dudes are like MEGA - they even have tattoos!
MB: I know you’re only a ‘small’ department. So, what did you say / do to these tough AI Guyz?
Ade & Des (giggling nervously, but sounding more excited): We were like: ‘Listen Up, the Boss is the main Dude here. We’re only a small department BUT we have a ‘cut’ in this deal. And.. we can stop the entire organisation if we need to. We said: Just Chill, AI Dudes. We ALL need to keep our jobs - even if the Boss is a bit of a …. sometimes’ (followed by another awkward silence).
MB: So, Ade and Des, how did the AI Guyz respond?
Ade: It’s cool, man, er, Boss. They’re cool, they ‘got it’ when we flexed our small but powerful muscles too. Small is Beautiful… (followed by triumphant sigh..). We have ‘Forward Motion’ now… they’ll cut-back on the steroids - in everyone’s interests.
MB: Phew! Thanks Adrenal Guyz - and send my best to the AI Guyz too. It’s great that you’re all cool. I depend on YOU LOT more than you might imagine. I’m MEGA cool, Thanks!
Ade & Des: But, Dude, er, Boss, rather than YOU LOT, let’s just call it US LOT? We’re all in this organisation together, for better or worse (followed by sighs of resignation on all sides).
So, the conclusion from the ‘Boss’ here?
After some (admittedly) senior mis-management on my part of this large and complex organisation’s numerous Internal Departments, they / we eventually all talked to each other and came-up with a mutually acceptable Deal all round. Team Work can be a very powerful thing, and sometimes at its best when the ‘Boss’ steps back and lets (or perhaps trusts?) the other ‘Departments’ to get on with things in their own good way.
Being ‘Boss’ doesn’t mean that you are an expert - it’s just a title for someone who is supposed to be in control of everything - but often isn’t in reality. Food for thought..?
Happy Days all. Keep smiling on the PMR / GCA Journey, and ‘Be Cool’ - especially in our currently very hot UK weather.
MB 
