Unapproachable, In Every Way*

Last week, I came in to work not feeling quite up to par. As the day wore on, I started having dizzy spells. The next morning, my brain felt like it'd been sucked out with a straw & replaced with a ziplock full of jell-o. I couldn't get a clear thought & had a hard time even doing the simplest tasks. I kept hoping & praying that no one would have any detailed questions for me - like "What's your name?" or "Can you count to three?" or anything like that.

As luck would have it, one of the floor denizens came in with a problem shipment. He explained what was wrong with it & I told him, fighting through the fog that enveloped my head, that he'd need to contact the customer first & that they'd have to request my assistance with the problem.

Now, before I go any further, I must explain that this particular person is a know-it-all & likes to talk over people instead of listening. Oh yeah. Really fun to deal with.

So, after I tell him what needs to be done, he counters with "Well, this order will have to be redone. It's impossible to ship it this way. Blah blah blah." Apparently, no one has ever told him that it's a really, really, reeeeally bad idea to argue with me when I don't feel well. Especially when I'm agitated because my head's so fogged. As he kept talking over me, I finally told him, flat out, in no uncertain terms "I don't care what the problem is! You need to contact the customer, tell them what needs to be done & then I'll get involved."

He then stormed out of the office. As of about two hours later, he still hadn't contacted the customer. It took Irene going to his office & telling him the same thing that I had. Well, probably in a much calmer, nicer way, but the gist was the same.

Shortly after that, Clueless Leader came into the office, asking for some stats. I told her that I was entering the numbers &, if she'd wait a second, I'd have them for her. She told me just to bring them out to her, to which I replied "I'm really dizzy right now. Just hang on & I'll have the numbers for you." But, that's not what she heard me say. Instead, she heard me say that I was "busy" rather than "dizzy."

Cut to about 4p that afternoon. I get called into the principle's office to talk about what had happened that morning. As per usual, they wouldn't just come out & say "Someone complained about such & such" (nor would they bring the person making the complaint in to face me). They wanted to know if something was bothering me or if I needed help with work or if things were overwhelming me & other such nonsense. Finally, after I told then that they were being extremely vague, they brought up the dizzy/busy miscommunication. After that was cleared up, the other matter of snapping at the coworker came up. I told them about feeling under the weather & that the individual kept talking over me instead of listening for five seconds, etc. I was told that they understood, but that I couldn't let me not feeling well affect how I deal with people. Y'see, there's this misconception held by Clueless Leader & the BOMB that I don't get along wth anyone & that people are afraid of dealing with me. Apparently, I am unapproachable.

To which I say - GOOD!!!

Lousy, freakin' crybabies. It's better that they stay clear of me.

I mean, the guy that went crying to CL was in the Navy. What'd he do when his drill sergeant chewed him up one side & down the other in Basic Training? Go whine to his Commanding Officer? UGH!

Frickin' whiny twit...

Anyway, I was given "suggestions" on how to "rebuild the rapport" with the floor denizens who feel that they can't come talk to me. Crap like asking if I can help them out with something & just trying to go out & communicate with them, golly gee willikers!

Meh.

I just want to grab the higher-ups by the scruffs of their pencil necks & tell them "Look, it's really simple. If I like someone, I'll talk to them. If I don't like them or, better yet, even know them, then I don't talk to them unless it's work related. I DON'T WANT TO GET TO KNOW THESE PEOPLE!!!"

And then I'd thump their noggins together a few times.

*Apologies to the late, great Nat "King" Cole