February 5, 2009

• Dumb Things

  A colleague who has been gruff to me for a long time now — despite training her in what she does as well as providing various forms of assistance since she was hired — was at the fax machine (which sits outside my office) several times today. All afternoon. She would walk up to the machine, stare at the read-out screen, stare at the paper she had inserted in the fax position and, frustrated, leave. For 2+ hours, she kept coming back to the machine, hoping that her fax had been sent. Alas, no.

  Knowing that she would not appreciate my help (she had not been responding to me at all and brushes aside my usual “good mornings,” etc.), I held my tongue, including any offer to help. After the 2+ excruciating hours, however, I could not help it, but wanted to stop this madness.

  At 4:30, when I saw her go to the fax machine again, I asked, “are you trying to fax something?” She hesitatingly said “yes.” But, as I got up to help, she grabbed her paper and walked away, saying (with obvious disgust in her voice at having to interact with me) “um, that’s alright, thanks.”

  What I had noticed earlier and what she failed to do all this time was to HIT THE SEND BUTTON!

  • 6:00 pm
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