This is going to be vague, to protect the rude.

Yesterday I took a few hours out of my day to teach someone how to use the internet.  It was an extremely busy day for me business wise, but I had said at the beginning of summer I would do it and I don’t go back on my word.  Plus I would be getting paid for my time.  I got there a bit early and said person was not around and so I went to see another person who knew I would be in the area and asked me to stop by.  It was really nice to see them, have a little chat and catch up.

I went back to see if the person was back and ready to go.  They were there but busy doing something else, so I was asked to wait.  Not a problem, since I was on their time and dime.   While waiting I was asked to find them something that I had done for them  about a year ago, because it was absolutely urgent and no one seemed to know where it was.

I had a look through where I thought it might be.  After a year, as you can imagine, it was no longer there, and there was actually nothing related to that particular subject at all.  Whatever.  I relayed that I couldn’t find it and that I could have one more look after we were  done.  I was then told that I was specifically given this thing, over a year ago, and told what to do with it and where to put it so it wouldn’t be lost and that I better find it, and that the training could wait til another day.

Stupid me spends about an hour looking for this stupid freaking thing that is clearly not there.  I tell them again that I can’t find it and I don’t know what they want, but it’s not there.  They again tell me I better find it, and instead of leaving, I get online to find what they are looking for and print out a whole bunch of stuff.  I almost have a freaking anxiety attack – which is generally the feeling I get in that particular place.  Finally give the person what they are looking for and asked if I can come the next day to do training?  I am never one to disrespect my elders or to burn any bridges, so of course I say yes.

I then go to see another person to sort out the invoicing for this “computer training” when I run into one of the most ignorant and disrespectful people I have ever met in my life.  This person honestly gets off on putting other people down and being as nasty as they can.  I’ve seen it firsthand and even experienced it.  I had hoped that I would be able to steer clear of this person in that part of town, but just my luck we’re on our way to the same place.  Me, being a fairly nice and polite person, extend a “hello, how are you, nice to see you” and in return get a “what are you doing here?”  I tell them of course why I’m there and they ask if I’m being paid.  (Um, of course, why would I be doing this if I wasn’t) and again politely say “yes, I am”.  If looks could kill I wouldn’t be writing this.  Freakin’ daggers were shooting out of their eyes at me.  I know then that this is going to be the end of the “training” because I know exactly how this person operates and what their next steps will be.

By this point I’m almost having a full-out anxiety attack and wanting to pull my hair out for even venturing down that alley ever again.  I realize that I never want to come back to this place, nor do I want to help anyone who is rude to me learn how to do anything, so hopefully dagger eyes will get their way.

So I leave.  Freak out to Kathryn and Chad for a couple hours, and then s a j and calm down.

Luckily I got a calendar request, becaue I’m so organized and love keeping my calendar up to date, and almost as soon as I calmed down it was cancelled.  I then get a lame excuse phone call about doing it some other time… at a location that would probably cost me about $50 to cab to.  Yeah Right.

This is part of the reason why I work for myself and why I hope to never have to work for anyone else again.  I love my business, my industry and most everything that comes along with it. I always try to treat people with courtesy and respect, and would never put someone down to make myself feel better.  But I’m glad I’ve had to go through all this and deal with difficult people.  It’s definitely made me a stronger and more knowledgeable person.

Here’s a picture of me in my front porch office last week, to offset the negativity of this post

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