A Small Lie at Work

I admit it’s petty, but I’m still bothered by the fib I told my colleague yesterday. Dr. Chen asked me if I could cover an extra shift this weekend when his mother was in town from out of state. The problem? I had a long-standing dinner reservation with friends back home that I’d been looking forward to for weeks. Instead of being honest and asking him to find someone else, I told him my cat needed emergency veterinary care and would be hospitalized overnight. Truth is, my cat’s perfectly healthy, I even made sure he got an extra long grooming session this week so his fur was extra pristine when the friends came over. Part of me feels a twinge of guilt because Dr. Chen seems like such a nice guy and must think I’m being responsible. Yet another part of me is annoyed by how trivial it all sounds written out here, as if there’s some deeper meaning to this harmless fib beyond just wanting that weekend off for once.