I think I might be regressing socially to a state of ignorant bliss, much like how a senile old man doesn't realize that he is senile, and thus has the freedom to take his pants off during the middle of a family dinner party.
Today at work I was busy working on getting a somewhat complicated network up and running that uses an encrypted tunnel over a satellite feed and a lot of limited resources that involved fun times with switching to different fiber connections to copper and back again several times. As with all things government, a mountain of paperwork and cost justification must follow. All the while everyone here is screaming for connectivity.
So while I'm dicking around with a network map, this fresh faced young and eager captain comes up to me with a few sheets of paper and says she needs them scanned. I figured everyone gets a freebie and I understand we're not all technically inclined even though there's a step by step SOP taped to the front of the scanner. So I do it, and get back to work.
Later she comes back with an altered version of the document and asks me to do it again. So I get up and helpfully mention that we have a nice SOP and that I would be happy to assist with any problems she has in the process of doing it herself. (see how good I am?). She responded with saying that she knew how to do it, but was too busy to do it herself.
Now the fun starts. "fantastic ma'am! That makes two of us! Let me know if you can't figure it out." this is followed up with her getting miffed and giving me an order to do it. I'm my extreme professionalism, I responded with "do I look like a ******* secretary?"
Yep, not the greatest idea. But as said initially I seem to have regressed somewhat in terms of proper social etiquette. I'm having trouble focusing on even the conversation as I swear everything she said felt like it was being shouted out by someone under water. Yawning at that point probably didn't help things. That's the lack of coffees fault though.
So I'm called into the majors office who tells me that this was a chargeable offense, and that I should trust in the point of view of the junior officers as they see the bigger picture that isn't always shown to us.
To which I said "you are absolutely right sir, let's pull up that charge report from the network right now." so he did and said "it's not working..."
"... Yep, too busy scanning the bigger picture for the captain sir. I'm sure it's important though."
He changed his tune pretty quickly and had a private talk with her. Now he wants us to take part in a "conflict resolution meeting". It seems strange considering how little I care about this person or what happened... And I mean a genuine lack of utter care. I cant even remember her name much less focus clearly on any of it. There is a possibility that the captain suspects sexism as a motivating factor to my increasing banality.
I could be sexist. Maybe I am? Not sure. The majors suggestion is text book leadership course material in a effort to cover his ass and see if he can nip a hostile work environment in the bud.
I was able to get back to work though. I'm not sure why but this entire situation and my slowly growing retardation feels like a success story and a victory.
Typed from my phone at 1 am. fresia spelling and grammar checking.
Today at work I was busy working on getting a somewhat complicated network up and running that uses an encrypted tunnel over a satellite feed and a lot of limited resources that involved fun times with switching to different fiber connections to copper and back again several times. As with all things government, a mountain of paperwork and cost justification must follow. All the while everyone here is screaming for connectivity.
So while I'm dicking around with a network map, this fresh faced young and eager captain comes up to me with a few sheets of paper and says she needs them scanned. I figured everyone gets a freebie and I understand we're not all technically inclined even though there's a step by step SOP taped to the front of the scanner. So I do it, and get back to work.
Later she comes back with an altered version of the document and asks me to do it again. So I get up and helpfully mention that we have a nice SOP and that I would be happy to assist with any problems she has in the process of doing it herself. (see how good I am?). She responded with saying that she knew how to do it, but was too busy to do it herself.
Now the fun starts. "fantastic ma'am! That makes two of us! Let me know if you can't figure it out." this is followed up with her getting miffed and giving me an order to do it. I'm my extreme professionalism, I responded with "do I look like a ******* secretary?"
Yep, not the greatest idea. But as said initially I seem to have regressed somewhat in terms of proper social etiquette. I'm having trouble focusing on even the conversation as I swear everything she said felt like it was being shouted out by someone under water. Yawning at that point probably didn't help things. That's the lack of coffees fault though.
So I'm called into the majors office who tells me that this was a chargeable offense, and that I should trust in the point of view of the junior officers as they see the bigger picture that isn't always shown to us.
To which I said "you are absolutely right sir, let's pull up that charge report from the network right now." so he did and said "it's not working..."
"... Yep, too busy scanning the bigger picture for the captain sir. I'm sure it's important though."
He changed his tune pretty quickly and had a private talk with her. Now he wants us to take part in a "conflict resolution meeting". It seems strange considering how little I care about this person or what happened... And I mean a genuine lack of utter care. I cant even remember her name much less focus clearly on any of it. There is a possibility that the captain suspects sexism as a motivating factor to my increasing banality.
I could be sexist. Maybe I am? Not sure. The majors suggestion is text book leadership course material in a effort to cover his ass and see if he can nip a hostile work environment in the bud.
I was able to get back to work though. I'm not sure why but this entire situation and my slowly growing retardation feels like a success story and a victory.
Typed from my phone at 1 am. fresia spelling and grammar checking.