The Curse of Gab (was: [CAUT] I am a genius)

[michelle stranges]

Thank you Barbara.

Your letter was great.

It's not the in-home customers I am talking about- for I do plenty of 
talking myself!!

It's the people at the college I work at who are SLACKING OFF WORK to come 
and talk to me. FOR A LONG TIME.

IT's ANNOYING.

This is all I am saying- and my note on the door seems to be working.

Again- I hope I have offended no one-

:)




--On Tuesday, August 16, 2005 9:44 AM -0500 Barbara Richmond 
<piano57@insightbb.com> wrote:

>
> Well, we have run the gamut, so to speak.  No harm in it--but I think the
> original gripe was folks overstepping sensible boundaries and not
> allowing us to get our work done.  Yes, of course, there are times for
> kindness and listening--but not <every> time!
>
> Although I sent out memos asking to not be disturbed while I worked, I
> still had very good rapport with the faculty.  Maybe that's the
> difference in working for a small university.  I talked with faculty
> members enough that sometimes I felt a little like a bartender.  I never
> repeated what I was told--except once when there were hard feelings
> escalating between two of them and I went to my closest friend on the
> faculty and told him what I knew about the situation.  He took it from
> there and the situation improved.
>
> Now, at this huge auditorium, I find myself in situations where I'm
> working and the union stage hands will come in to do some job.  One time,
> they arrived to do some sort of backstage maintenance job, I smiled and
> said hello and got back to my work.  I was regulating a piano and I had a
> lot to do.  Occasionally they would walk past, make a comment and I would
> respond, but I didn't pursue more conversation since I was intent on
> getting my work done.  In the meantime, they finished their work, but
> before they left, one said, "You were pretty quiet while working there
> and I know what that means!"   Well, I didn't know what he meant, but I
> smiled and said, "See you next time!"
>
> Hmmm, what <did> it mean?!
>
>
> Barbara Richmond, RPT
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jeff Tanner
> To: College and University Technicians ; Jeff Olson
> Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 8:27 AM
> Subject: Re: The Curse of Gab (was: [CAUT] I am a genius)
>
>
>
>
> On Aug 13, 2005, at 8:48 PM, Jeff Olson wrote:
>
>
>
> There are some people who seem unable to conduct a business-like exchange
> (which is, after all, what we're supposed to be doing),
>
>
>
> What is business, after all?  An exchange of a service for money?  If
> that is what we have come to, then that is a really sad indication of
> where we are as a society.
>
>
> When I am at death's door, do I want to be able to say, "if only that
> person had quit talking, I could have made another hundred bucks that
> day." or that something I did made a difference in someone's life every
> day?
>
>
> I rather like to believe that when people feel comfortable talking to me,
> it is an indication that the client likes me, and will call me back
> another day.
>
>
> I envy those of you who have established a solid private clientele that
> will sustain a decent living.  That's a heck of a lot better than dealing
> with this group of snooty
> better-that-the-piano-janitor-who-doesn't-have-his-PHD faculties we deal
> with every day.  There isn't a lot more depressing than to NOT be able to
> strike up a decent conversation with your coworkers because they don't
> have time for you and think you are lower class.
>
>
> Jeff
>
>
> Jeff Tanner, RPT
> University of South Carolina
>
>
>
>