At first, I tried to ignore it. Offices are full of small discomforts—noisy keyboards, cold air vents, burnt coffee—and I told myself this was just another one. But as the days went on, the strong odor that followed my coworker through the hallway became impossible to overlook. It lingered in meeting rooms and hovered over shared desks, creating an unspoken tension no one wanted to address. I wrestled with whether to say anything at all, knowing how personal and sensitive such topics can be. Eventually, believing honesty was better than silent resentment, I spoke to him quietly and directly, trying to be respectful rather than critical.
The conversation did not go as I imagined. He stiffened immediately, his expression closing off as if I had crossed an invisible line. His response was short and defensive, making it clear that my comment had landed as an intrusion rather than concern. The air between us changed after that—less casual, more cautious. I replayed the moment in my head for the rest of the day, wondering if I had handled it poorly or misunderstood something I couldn’t see. What felt like a practical workplace issue suddenly became a lesson in how little we know about the challenges others carry
