"If you have to vomit, do it in your hands.
You don't leave my classroom.
" That was the rant of my Law School torts professor ("The Tort") when a sick student attempted to walk out midway through class.
The Tort did not know that I have bipolar disorder, but he was about to see it in action.
The ability to deal with tyrannical authority is not a gift with which I was blessed at birth.
I pushed my chair back hard and stood up smack in front of The Tort.
I glared at him and took a step to my left.
"Mr.
Ya'Zhynka," The Tort roared, "What are you doing!?" "I'm taking one of my absences," I growled.
The Tort screamed, "Don't do this!" And I pounded angrily down the ramp.
"Mr.
Ya'Zhynka, stop! This isn't going to be good for you.
" But I had set myself for the door and kept on striding.
"Why are you doing this?" The Tort pleaded.
I stopped abruptly, stunned that he could possibly, somehow, not understand my rage.
"Because that man was sick," I barked, "and you tried to humiliate him!" "So, why do you have to leave class?" "There was no need for you to treat him like that," I glared, "and I'm not going to put up with your garbage.
" "He shouldn't have come...
if he was going to have to leave," The Tort argued weakly.
"Yeah, but he did...
and then he got sick.
So what?" "You're going to have to see me in my office," The Tort directed.
"And if I don't--?" I smarted off and left the room, believing the fight was over.
Unfortunately, the Tort also left class and confronted me in the men's room - as I turned from using the urinal.
I made a less-than-Christ-like comment and The Tort and I barked at each other until we heard the growling moans of the sick student puking into a men's room commode.
"Listen to that!" I yelled at The Tort as we stared each other down, "Did you want him to do that in class?!" That put an end to the "debate.
" Several months later, I was expelled from Law School - one day after school officials learned that I have bipolar disorder.
I still believe that the professor had to be confronted and I am pleased that I had the bipolar nerve to do it, but confrontation can work both ways.
Years later, while innocently minding my own business, I got struck with this from the pulpit of Allison Park Church: "Submit yourself for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men.
" (1Peter 2:13) That verse hit me hard.
The Tort was far from being the only authority with whom I had crossed swords.
(I do have bipolar - I have told off more than a few bosses.
) The time had come for me to make some changes.
I don't want bipolar to get me fired from any more jobs, expelled from any more schools, or worse.
And, as a Christian, I do want to follow God's command.
So, I came up with these tips that can help hotheads of any faith to deal with a challenging boss: · If angry, keep quiet until you calm down.
Even if you say all the right things, your bipolar anger is likely to be seen and get you in trouble.
There will be time to talk later.
· You are not obligated to "stand up to" the boss.
Sometimes, your first responsibility is to keep your job.
· Submitting to the boss's directions does not require you to agree with him.
· You can respectfully tell the boss your concerns and suggest alternatives.
Calmly "getting it off your chest" can make it easier to follow bad directions.
· Put your concerns in writing - Respectfully.
· When you follow the boss's directions, you are not responsible for the failure of his plans.
· Know that by submitting to authority you are pleasing God.
And when you please Him, He will strengthen you.
So, how would I now deal with the Tort's mad rant? I would sit there and keep my mouth shut.
And then I would sue him for false imprisonment - just like he taught me to do.
The U.
S.
Courts are an authority to which even The Tort must submit.