No jokes & riddles please (4/17/2022)
I like to talk to people, and I pride myself on the ability to get a conversation going with just about anyone. And it doesn’t matter if I talk to a guest at our place or to a total stranger in the grocery checkout line.
Of course, starting a conversation is just one thing, to keep it going it takes another interested party. Some people are just not very talkative and since I don’t want to press on, I give up as soon as I get no meaningful response.
Sometimes it happens that the other person is more than willing to talk, but soon I am the one who wants to get out of it. This for instance occurs when I’m facing a big talker. You probably know what I mean; they make more money than anyone else, their car is faster, their kids are smarter, etc. I have a cousin who is like that. He used to visit my dad and I and all night we had to listen to his over the top heroics. And with each passing hour his tales became wilder. I think nobody could blame us for making excuses so he would stop coming over.
I resent lazy co-workers (04/14/2022)
I worked for a small company and one of my co-workers was the sister of the owner. She was a nice lady and we worked together very well. She always worked hard and made sure things were done in time.
Then she decided to leave. The physical work became too much for her and she wanted to do something different. An ad was put in the paper (no Internet yet), and we received quite a few responses.
Hank seemed to be the best candidate He was in the right age group, had a positive demeanor and he had a degree in art history. A most welcome qualification for someone who works at an auction house.
I led the job interview and I put emphasis on the fact that, especially right before and during the auctions, there was a lot of physical labor to be done. “No problem,” he said. “I like being busy physically, it’s good for the body.”
Ungrateful people (04/13/2022)
Many years ago, I worked for a small auction company, selling art, antiques, collectibles, and household goods.
It was one of my most interesting jobs and I stayed there for 10 years. It was hard work, physically demanding but I learned a lot and I met many interesting people.
One day my boss, the owner of the company, asked me to pick up some ceramics that he had appraised at someone’s house. The owners were pleased with a possible $3500 in proceeds and they decided to sell all of it,
I made an appointment and as always, I took the necessary moving materials with me. However, when I arrived, the items were already boxed up and ready to go. The husband told me that he had decided to get some boxes from a moving company and packed everything up so they could put it safely out of the way.
Loud mouth trucker (04/12/2022)
Just when my bowl of soup arrived, a middle-aged man walked in. He looked around for a few seconds, then sat down at the counter between two other drivers. I suspected he hadn’t seen a shower or razor in a week, and that he might’ve worked and slept in those clothes even longer.
As soon as he hit the stool he started talking to his neighbors. Instantly I wished that I had chosen a table at the other side of the restaurant. This guy was one of those people who talk in such a loud tone of voice that you have to listen, whether you want to or not. And that wasn’t even the worst part.
He was also a Big Talker. His truck was faster and more powerful then everyone else’s, he made an incredible amount of money and he was smarter than any DOT officer or policeman he ever had to deal with.