Having served the public as a government employee for many years, I learned early on that when a member of the public verbally assaulted you red-faced and energetically, you worked hard to maintain a polite demeanor. Frankly, turning all red-faced and dumping on their negative vibes was a sure path to fast unemployment.
I found out early that about fifty percent of folks who blew off steam weren’t directly mad at me. They were mad at my boss ( while I was working in Eastie running the Heritage Center) or the city government. I was just a convenient point on which to vent.
Afterward, I’d retreat to my office, which was built like a bomb shelter, close the door, and do a bit of yelling. The walls were so thick that no one could hear me.
Later, at the Department of the Interior, there were fewer members of the public yelling at me and more irate professionals who didn’t get contracts, grants, or such. There were many more direct threats that complaints would move up the chain of command, and that I’d “get sorted out. fast!” In some ways, these sorts of issues were reefs and shallows that were harder to chart a course through. I was called into my boss’s office to discuss so and such’s grant or contract.
It was almost a relief when the Reinvention of Government resulted. After my layoff, I walked into a friend’s boatyard to scrape the bottoms of boats, paint, and generally work on boats. A few weeks afterward, the call came from my office wanting to know where something was. They simply expected that I’d run right over and find it for them.
I quoted my price to work as a consultant and, with a big smile on my face, slammed the phone down.
Discover more from Louis N. Carreras, Woodcarver
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
We have these jobs, don’t we, where we look back and wonder how we managed to stick it for so long. And it’s like being set free when we finally get out of there. My last job was the one that finally made me have a favourable view of retirement.
I’m still working part-time, but I told them I’d only stay if they didn’t get in my face!
Usually the person getting scolded is not to blame. After blowing off steam, some are quick to say “sorry, I know it wasn’t your fault”. Gee wiz
Too true, Alice!
I love your last two paragraphs. After I retired, and it was a very amicable retirement, I received a phone call to ask about one of my passwords. I feigned ignorance. Sorry, I’m retired and anything work-related no longer takes up space in my brain.
And I bet they expected you to provide it for free!
Love it! It’s a great thing to have that phone slammed down moment.
Sigh… I miss the days when you could slam down the phone…
Me Too!
I can’t imagine you as a government employee! I picture you as a Sons of Anarchy, off-grid biker kind of person.
As the Navy says, I squared away after 1970. But the wild and stupid side still came out for vacations.