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Stumpage Reports
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Tuesday, May 06, 2003 :::
The She-Beast
I know I usually come across like a saint in these blog entries. But people who know me well know I have a temper. I�m usually pretty introverted and don�t like to make waves. Once in awhile I�ll blow up at someone, and usually that means I�m bugged about something else and some poor slob has wandered into my sights. The following is a case where the blow-up was well deserved, this person would�ve pissed off the Pope.
I used to have a job where five of us sat in a room together all day. It was essential to our sanity that we all got along, and we usually did. We had a part-timer. I�ll call her the She Beast. She didn�t know what in the hell she was doing. She talked constantly. I have a vivid memory of her babbling away, me praying for the phone to ring, and James with his head buried in the 643 page Brothers K. She would ask for help and then interrupt you and argue when you tried to answer her question.
I tried embarrassing her with snide comments. We tried to retrain her. I took her aside and talked to her with a sincere interest to help. I was reduced to praying for her.
One day she asked me a question and then started arguing when I tried to answer. A fellow staff member later said: �There was a pregnant silence. And it gave birth.� I wish I could remember exactly what I said. It was something like this: �We have tried to help you. We have trained you at least twice. I have tried to embarass you. I have tried talking to you. Every time you ask for help, you argue with us and interrupt. You won�t shut up. If your hair was on fire and asked for help, I wouldn�t listen to you.*�
She quit about two weeks later.
Several months after that she applied for another job with the same organization.
She used me as a reference.
*I think the correct phrase is �If your hair was on fire, I wouldn�t piss on you to put it out.� But I didn�t say that, it would have been rude.
Quote of the Day:
He was within a few hours of giving his enemies the slip forever.
--- Lawrence Sterne, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, 1765 - 1769.
::: posted by tom at 12:41 AM
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