A new woman has been hired a few months ago into a team that has been together for years and is close knit. Her job is the second in command for the boss, I’m the coordinator of the department.
The second-in-comand is always complaining that she is so overwhelmed. Every time she returns to her desk she wails out how many new emails she has to wade through – often asking me when a document came through so she can find it in her email.
Because of this, I was only copying her on emails that affect her but she then would get mad that she wasn’t up on info that has nothing to do with her, which usually just left her more overwhelmed when she knows the info.
Then last week, she complained that I hadn’t copied her on an email where her knowing about it would be more annoying than not; as she gets up from her desk whenever anyone is talking in the office to interject her thoughts. I started CCing her on EVERYTHING. And I mean everything. She gets 30 to 50 more emails an hour than she was before. There is no way she can keep up with the superfluous info, but she tries – often ending up staying in the office to 10pm at night to keep up. (Something she brags about even though the boss tells her to have regular hours like the rest of us.)
She just needs to look at the demeanor of the rest of the office and calm down to come to the chill level of everyone else, but she is myopically driven to prove herself; pushing her far away from the graces of the rest of us. Her need to be part of every conversation and decision to make a mark on the project has her contributing ideas that are useless as she doesn’t understand what she’s talking about (she would if she focused on just the info needed). Additionally, the stress she puts herself under pushes her to be snippy and that snip as been directed at the boss a few times.

(I am sitting in art class. We are studying the color theory, so we’re mixing paint together to make colors. I hear this from a table full of kids known for not doing their work, slacking off, being loud, and not always doing things correctly.)

Guy 1: we mixed red and blue and it turned brown!
Guy 2: why the f*** is it brown?
Teacher: *laughing*

(Later in the class I hear various other entertaining comments from that table)

Guy 1, no context: I feel sick from eating soap

Girl 1: have you ever consumed a blueberry

Guy 1, holding a spicy snack: omg these are so salty
Girl 2: it tastes like bread!
Guy 2: it’s like a super salty crouton
Guy 1: it’s salsa!
Guy 2: it tastes like gross.

Guy 2: what are we doing in science?
Girl 1: shut up!

Guy 2: (spells out 89 as “a i e t y- n i n e)

(The teacher comes over, it’s important to note she’s a girl)
Teacher: how are you all coming along on your work?
Boy 1: we have done nothing, mister.

Boy 2: (gibberish)
Both girls: *giggling*

Boy 1: do you like my painting?
Girl 2: no.

Boy 1, with crumbs of the spicy snack on his fingers: would you like to lick my fingers?
Girl 1: yeah

Guy 2: send her to the reservoir!!

Guy 1: how do you milk almonds!?!?

Some of us neighbors have started going for a walk every morning, for fresh air and exercise. I apologize for talking about race and politics but they are central to the story. We are black and live in a slightly integrated, but mostly black neighborhood. Our walk takes us through another neighborhood, which is more Caucasian but has been known for generations as being one of the most socially and politically progressive areas of the city. This takes place during the turbulent and interminable election season, and the other neighborhood is populated with Biden/Harris signs. It has always been common to see signs on lawns and in windows in support of Black Lives Matter, immigrant rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, etc. Some of the churches have rainbow flags displayed on them. There is not a Trump sign to be seen anywhere.
All of the walking neighbors are pleasant and easy to get along with, but the election season seems to have triggered something in one lady.
Whenever we pass another person we greet them. If they do not respond immediately—and they are Caucasian—she immediately turns to me, points at me and says, “It’s getting too close to the election,” “See? The election,” or just, “See? Trump!” or something like that. Unlike her, I actually look at people when I speak to them, and 99% of the time, they are wearing earbuds and probably didn’t hear us speak. I get sick of this, and whenever she makes one of her ridiculous assumptions, I tell her about the earbuds. Sometimes it gets even more ridiculous, as follows:

Us: Good morning!

Person: (waves)

Neighbor (turns and points at me): See, (my name)? Trump got to her.

Me: Actually, she waved after you turned around. She doesn’t seem happy about that trump comment, though.

Us: Good morning!
Young Man walking dog: (silence)
Neighbor: See, he’s one of those that Trump told not to wear a mask. He put his head down because he sees us together and he doesn’t want to confront both of us. You’re lucky I was here!

Me: He’s watching tv.

Neighbor: What?

Me: He has his headphones on and he’s looking down at his phone and laughing. I usually don’t wear a mask when I walk my dog, either. People don’t get very close to you because the dog is there.

Neighbor: Aw.

This one occurs after some of the election results have been counted. Two ladies are already in conversation and don’t respond to our greeting.

Neighbor: See, the tide is turning! They don’t even like us coming to their neighborhood now! You’re about to see them acting different! We’re going to have to watch out when we walk over here!

Me: They were already in a conversation that we kind of interrupted. Also, every day they come out of that house with the Black Lives Matter, no human is illegal, civil rights are human rights sign in the window. Hey, did you know that 92.8% of this neighborhood voted for Biden? In our neighborhood it was 93.1%! Almost the same!

That seemed to get her off this particular issue but she stayed off the deep end on politics and some other issues. Fortunately for me, it soon got too cold to walk in the morning and now I am free of her insanity.

(It’s the night of Halloween. Due to the current pandemic there’s far less trick-or-treaters than previous years. Before it’s even nightfall, we get a knock on our door from a pair of teenagers in Halloween costumes.)

Teenager #1 and #2: Hi! Trick or treat!

(While mum greets the trick-or-treaters, I go and grab their sweets. My mum likes to be generous on Halloween, and this year is no exception.)

Me: Here you go, Happy Halloween!

(I watch both girls light up as we drop five small chocolate bars each into their bags)

Teenager #1: *Giggling* Th-thank you!

Mum: No problem, have a lovely night.

Teenager #2: We will!

(They leave with huge grins in their face. Seconds later, we hear two very excited screams.)

Me, trying not to laugh: I think we just made their nights.

Some random passenger, late teens, to his friend: So yeah, I only got cr**** (game console) when I was eight. I had to make do with it untill I was twelve and got (popular portable game console). When I was fourteen, I finally got (other game console) and I could start to play for real. And now I bought (expensive computer) to play games. Yeah, I cannot believe my parents made me wait so long for a decent system.

( The young man continues his rant about how his parents sabotaged his gaming and they didn’t get that he deserved a decent, expensive, gaming system).

Me, quietly mumbling: and here I am, extatic at sixteen because of a game named “pong”
(Yeah, showing my age here. For those unfamiliar with the game, it is two white rods, one on each end of the screen, which you can move up and down (simultaneously) while a white square or the “ball” is moving in between. The object of the game is to hit the “ball” and play it back to the other side. When you miss and it goes off screen, you loose. Rather primitive, a far cry from the “decent” games the poor teenager had to do without for so long but that is where it all started).