Dear T,

I have just had one of the worst phone calls ever. The guy, a colleague, just would not listen to what I had to say. I was calm and rational but he kept on and on with what he thought he knew. I was scared I think, so I hung up on him and rung the boss.

When I called this colleague back to say what the boss had decided, he had a massive go at me for hanging up on him. He was shouting at me, calling me highly strung! Me, highly strung!! Like I said to him, I said, you are the one that is shouting at me when all I am doing is trying to have a sensible discussion with you.

Eventually, after I had held the phone away from me and let him have his rant, he did listen, and then blamed me for not explaining the situation fully in the first place. I tried, but I couldn't get a word in edgeways to do so, despite asking him, politely, to listen to me because the situation had developed and u had information that he did not.

In the end, he calmed down and did listen to what I had to say, but he was not going to apologise to me, that was evident.

It has bothered me, but luckily I had two witnesses to the entire event and despite not being able to hear his words exactly, they said I was calm and rational and professional. He was just having a rant and I came up against a wall. I think I was right to hang up on him because I do not have to stand for being shouted at, do I?

Oh well, I guess something can come our of it. I now know that I felt something in my body, and I will write it down as best I can and we can talk about it on Tuesday. Maybe I should be thanking him for helping me!!!!