"OH NO did she just fall head first into the table?" I was 19 when I heard my boss turn to one of my coworkers and utter those fatal words. That was the beginning of my initiation into some strict protocol involving "office parties" or "partying" in general with your coworkers.

My mother had previously worked for this company. They had hired me not realizing that "she" was my mother. After securing my position I branched out, talking to different people in my company. Before long some of the people realized that I was "her" daughter. I felt proud when some of the senior people asked if we were related. "Please give your mother my regards, I have the utmost respect for her." These comments made me want to try to do the best possible job for this company and of course we always want to make our parents proud.

But I had already experienced one snafu at a company that hired me at a very early age. After arriving at my desk one morning I realized that I had forgotten it was a coworker's birthday. I measured my time and realized that if I was careful I could rush to the drugstore and buy a card on my lunch hour before cake was served at 1:00 PM.

Everything was going pretty smoothly. I got to the store and quickly selected a card that looked terrific from the outside. The flowers on the front might have been a little feminine but surely he wouldn't mind. After all, it is the thought that counts right? At 1:00 PM when we assembled for cake and juice he started opening and reading his cards one by one.

When he got to my card, he started reading it out loud. Little had I realized when I purchased the card that it was full of sentimental love phrases for that cherished love interest in your life. If he had not been married it would have been embarrassing enough. I heard little gasps and one person say "Whoa Kathy."

Should I explain that I only read the outside? Would that make it worse? I decided to quietly explain to every possible person that I could get to (as soon as possible) that I had ONLY read the outside. I quickly got down to the business of straightening this out and felt that I had done a pretty good job of damage control. I remember having to live through the looks that people gave me. It was pretty painful but a great early lesson learned.

Everything seemed perfect that year. I had a good job and people I liked who seemed to like me. I was invited to the office Christmas party. Most of the people (I found

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