Jan 04 2009
Lessons
While working this past Saturday, one of the main bosses at the library (I’ll call her Brenda) came up to me and said, “Havilah, Kristine told me that she gave you some papers yesterday and asked you to put them in my box. I don’t see them in there. Do you know what you did with them?”
Instantly, my body broke out in a cold sweat as my mind flashed back to the night before, when I had laid in bed and let my mind drift as I fell asleep. Out of the blue, a thought startled me out of my half-asleep state, “What did I do with those papers Kristine gave to me? I don’t remember putting them in Brenda’s box.” Drowsily, I decided that since it hadn’t caused a problem yet, I was probably fine.
Now, staring Brenda in the face, I knew I was screwed. I had no idea where those papers were, and worse yet, Brenda was one of the most intimidating bosses I have ever had. She’s scary, with a capital S. I don’t know quite how to describe her, other than to say that I desperately don’t ever want to disappoint her. Forget sugar plums: I had visions of being fired dance through my head.
“Umm…well…” I stuttered. Apparently, being terrified also meant that I lost all ability to speak coherently. Go me.
I ran from one place to another in the library, trying (with a small large touch of hysteria) to figure out what had happened to the papers. They had handwritten columns of numbers on them, meaning that if I had lost them, there was a good chance that it was for good. There was no chance of simply reprinting them from a computer.
I felt the sweat dripping down my sides.
Frantically, I ran past my boss Martha and up to the front circulation area. I started rifling through stacks of papers, but wasn’t really concentrating on what I was doing. Instead, I was inwardly cursing my stupidity. I am constantly getting sidetracked. If it were a talent, I’d be at Olympic status by now. I was sure I had probably put the papers down at some point, thinking I would put them away “in just a moment” and then someone else came along and pitched them in the trash.
Martha came up and started asking me questions. Was I sure I hadn’t taken them home with me? Did I look over here yet? What about over there? Brenda came up to the front desk also and watched me as I ran around, terror flowing through my veins. I started gnawing on my fingernails. 20 more seconds, and I wouldn’t have even stubs left.
Finally Martha piped up again, “Have you asked me if I have seen them?”
Numbly, I parroted, “Martha, have you seen them?”
“Yup, I already gave them to Brenda. I was going back to give them to her when you ran past me to come up to the front desk.” She started laughing.
Relief coursed through my veins. My knees went weak, and I felt the sudden urge to smack Martha upside the head.
“You knew?!! All that time, you let me search, and you asked me questions, and you knew?! You brat!” I laughed.
Brenda was standing there, having a good laugh at my expense also. I spent the next two hours walking funny, because my legs were so shaky. I had PTSD right there, I swear.
Martha is the world’s biggest tease, so I think her motive was primarily just fun. She thought it was hilarious to watch me squirm like that. But I think there was also a part of her that wanted to teach me a well-deserved lesson to keep my mind on my work. If I hadn’t accidentally placed the papers on her desk, and if she hadn’t found them and known what to do with them (instead of blindly throwing them away) my negligence could have caused big problems.
I am feeling shaky all over again just thinking about this. Hopefully this lesson has registered somewhere in the recesses of my mind, because I just don’t think I could live through another scare like that again.
Any readers out there who can relate to my general air-headedness and will admit to it? Please tell me I’m not the only blond who happens to have brunette hair. Right?
Right?
Hava
It’s not blondeness; it’s absentmindedness and the best you can do is find steps to work around it. It will not go away.
How do I know this?
Picture a talented, efficient, brilliant, straight-A, helpful 10-year-child. She’s doing whatever ten year olds who skip childhood do at that age (probably reading) when her mother asks (in an agitated tone), “Stephanie, the baby’s spitting up! Run and get me a [cloth] diaper!”
Those are in my mom’s room. I run into my own room and think “What did I come in here for?” I yell, “Mom, what did you need?”
She yells, “A diaper! Hurry!”
I run into her room and think, “What did I come in here for?” I sometimes wonder how I lived to adulthood.
My husband gets frustrated with my daughter because she is very absent-minded and with me because, when I remember something I need to do, I hold on to it like a bulldog until it’s done - ’cause I know, if I put it off, I’ll forget.
Good luck. You’re not alone. And I’m brunette.
And yes, I know I changed from 3rd person to 1st person, but, about the second sentence, I was pretty sure you all knew it was me. I was too lazy to go back and change it.
Stephanie >> I can totally relate to your story! That completely sounded like me as a kid, including the book part of the story. My friends literally used to hide books when I came over because they knew if I saw a book that looked interesting, I’d sit down and start reading it, and not pay any attention to them. Sad but true.
The good news is, I am very blessed because my husband thinks it’s funny (and even a little cute) when I completely forget things. He has complete patience with me, which is fantastic, because if he was a guy to be impatient with that kind of thing, we’d be in trouble.
My sister is the same way - one time she ordered her food in drive-thru at a fast-food restaurant, but instead of pulling up to the window to pick up the food, she drove past the window and back out into the street. It was until she was partway down the street that she remembered that she was supposed to have food with her in the car, and the food was mysteriously not there.
She had to turn around and go back through the drive-thru to pick it up.
So it’s genetics, although it doesn’t make it any easier for my coworkers to put up with it.
Today, Brenda came up to me, asking me what I had done with a particular slip of paper, and it turns out I had completely forgotten to fill one out. It just slipped my mind. It’s a good thing they seem to have high tolerance for mistakes at my library, or I’d have been a goner long before now.
Karen >> I’m glad I’m not the only one who has disappearing stuff! I swear there is a little goblin following me around, hiding all of the important things I just put down.
Hava
http://nonfictionlover.today.com
By the way, I tagged you on my blog because, well, I did this twist on a standard meme that made it, um, different and I just KNOW you have stuff I’d love to learn.
Yeah, I just caught that! Thanks for the tagging, and I will put my thinking cap on and see what I can come up with. I have quite a bit to top, after reading your list, LOL!
Hava
You’re totally not!
I do those things all of the time hehe.
I also wanted to let you know that your question prompted a whole blog entry from me over at Merry Meet. I hope I answered your question.
http://merrymeet.today.com/2009/01/06/recommended-reading-for-those-interested-in-paganism/
Thank you for reading!
madrigalblue >> I’m glad I’m not the only one! LOL! I have been trying (since I wrote that post) to keep better track of what I’m doing at work, but I really don’t think I’m doing much better than I was before. :-} I’m just a goof, and I don’t think there’s a way around it.
And I’ll go check out your post right now. Thanks!
Hava