We’ve got to end this office jinx

John Godbey, Regina Wright and I made a pact to never again poke fun of each other’s medical ailments.

The three of us have worked together for a long time.

We’re not the sort who hangs out together after work. We’re not the kind who calls each other on the phone to chat about nothing.

But after putting out more than 8,000 editions of the newspaper together we are friends, at least on most days.

Sometimes we cooperate. Sometimes we fight. Sometimes we do both.

Usually, though, we conduct our business with friendly banter and one-upmanship.

While John’s blood clot was not a laughing matter, we managed to show our usual insensitivity.

A few weeks after John’s ailment, a sharp pain in the lower back sent me home early and kept me out of work the next day.

When I returned, Regina made fun of both John and me.

“You two are wimps,” she said. “I’m on Medicare and I’m in better shape than either one of you.”

The next day Regina called in sick with a stomach virus.

John and I found this greatly amusing.

“We should buy her a get-well card,” I suggested to John.

Two days later, things got worse — or better, depending on your perspective.

Regina announced that she had to go to the dentist to have two teeth pulled.

“I’ll be back in a little while,” she said with her usual bravado.

“If you come back to work after having two teeth pulled,” I said, “you’re a bigger man than I.”

A couple hours later, Regina returned with her mouth still paralyzed.

She stood at my door with a pained look and slurred through several sentences. The only words I understood were “going home” and “won’t be back.”

I couldn’t wait to tell John.

Two days later, however, I suffered my comeuppance by breaking a dental crown while eating blueberries of all things.

Then John came to work with a terrible itching problem after tangling with poison oak in his yard.

We’re not usually superstitious, but it appeared that we were jinxing each other.

So we made the pact to quit making fun of each other.

We’ll see how long it lasts.

Scott Morris is managing editor.