Strongly Worded

I'm Swamped. And I Hate it When People Say That.

So my work is madness lately. Madness, madness, madness. My desk is covered with papers and folders because I just can't seem to put anything away, which of course makes it worse, since I subsequently can no longer find said papers and folders. Then I have to swear out loud and express my rage.

Everyone keeps calling me and emailing me with very compelling needs and questions. Elderly ladies stop by to ask about their place on the (literally) 13,000-person list for Sec. 8 vouchers. One lady in particular likes to drop in for, "a little sit-down" just as I'm thinking: please don't sit down! She talks about how unfair her situation is (no kidding? Why do you think I fight for economic justice all day long?), and then she goes off about how it's all the fault of immigrants who eat up all our resources and go to college for free when our born-and-bred-American-kids are struggling to access the Ivory Tower. I cannot stand talk like this and find it very hard to nod in a cold way, while acting on my belief that I'm not going to change the opinion of an elderly lady in my office, and that even if I could, I don't have time to do so. I said something cold and final-sounding, and she headed out. I returned to the deluge on my desk.

So my point (after all that). I hate it when I ask someone to do something and she don't get back to me, and then eventually says breathlessly that she's swamped. When this happens, I think: Do you think I care? Do you manage your time much? What makes you think I am less swamped than you? When did "I'm swamped" become an excuse?

And alas, today, I was That Girl. I was curt on the phone. I was cold to an elderly lady. I owe several people calls. I said I was swamped. I'm sorry.

Posted by Dori at 5:19 PM