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December 04, 2003

The E-ster, makin' copies

Yesterday, Girl-E's big boss people had a very important meeting for which Girl-E was preparing some materials. When she took them to the copy machine, the receptionist JoAnn was making copies of other materials for the meeting, so Girl-E went to another office to do it. When she returned, JoAnn said "oh I'm so sorry I was making other copies! Do you want me to do them for you now?" When Girl-E replied that it was ok, she'd taken them across the hall, no worries, JoAnn's eyes widened in fear and she apologized profusely.

So the point of that uninteresting story is to say that it hit Girl-E for the first time that she has now reached the point in her career where she is not the person who makes copies. Which seems a bit ridiculous, because she quite skilled copying her own crap, and feels no pretentions that the 45-year-old behind the desk should be the default lackey just because she doesn't have a master's degree. Girl-E has noticed that when a coworker has a document that she wants, the coworker will inevitably say "sure, no problem, I'll ask JoAnn to make a copy." Ask JoAnn to make a copy? Maybe JoAnn is busy making your lunch reservations, or answering the phone, or is in a crucial stage of a computer game. Who are you to throw one measly piece of paper on her desk and ask her to get up and copy it at the machine that you are currently standing closer to?

Girl-E does realize that there are times when having a subordinate to do mundane tasks is helpful to productivity, but it's the assumed class-system that is annoying. But then again she's also the kind of person who feels guilty when a waitress pours her water. Or maybe she misses the days of mindless work, because now she has to think a lot, and it's a drag. Whatever, she has a meeting with mucky-mucks right now to which she plans to contribute absolutely nothing. Ta.

Posted by The Twins at December 4, 2003 10:49 AM

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Comments

i have a secretary. not my all own, of course, but i'm never quite sure what i should be asking her to help me with. so i never ask her to help me with anything. i can push a button and hover over the xerox machine with the best of them Master of Microbiology or no!

Posted by: snowy at December 4, 2003 11:52 AM