Ephrem Endale Contributer
I can tell you one really ‘annoying soul’ you’ll come across sooner or later; the boss who takes twenty days to put a two second signature on your ready document; that’s him. What is it with such bosses! I mean they are there to serve us and what do they do? They try to show us who was the boss around the place. We already know! None of us disputed that, sir.
If you are so eager to flex your muscles do it elsewhere. In fact we might have a couple of interesting suggestions where you’ll find out ‘all muscles aren’t toned equal!’ Wouldn’t that be a lifetime experience! Annoying is an understatement for such bosses.
A few days back I was at this bank. Most tellers concentrated on what they were doing, except one young guy. It was as if this fellow was a different breed. He peers at checkbook of a client, he looks at his computer screen, touches a couple of keys, picks up the cup tea and sips so slowly, it seemed as if he was dealing with some molten lava.
He then touches a few more keys, absently casts his eyes here and there, again touches a couple of keys…By now other tellers have each tended three, four clients. The client at this teller’s window was visibly may annoyed. He should be.
The young man either didn’t notice, or he just didn’t care. no one will tell him a how to do his job! He gestures to a young colleague at the other end and, believe it or not, she bursts out laughing. The gesture was some sort of thumbs up and he still manages make her laugh so boisterously! This guy should join the night crowd and try his hand at some standup comedy or something. What the hell is he doing in the bank messing with accounts? Annoying; very annoying!
You probably aren’t in love with meetings; at least I know I am not. Not that I’m invited to meetings that much. Maybe they’re tired of wasting precious paper! Anyway, have you ever thought who the really annoying person at most meetings is? Of course, the chairperson! It is as if the moment someone is told “You’ll chair the meeting” thee demons of the unending, and mostly irrelevant, talk come in marching.
Why do these guys on the flag-draped elevated platform think we have hours to waste over virtually nothing? Sorry to say it, but most meetings are just that; irrelevant! There is so much nonsense stuff coming from them the guys who are supposed to present papers are left yawning.
The chairperson spoils everything. I mean once he says, “Our organization has plans to employ a hundred more people what does the guy from the planning department doing on the podium! Those guys just go around in circles your inaudible cry is, “Could you please come to the point, sir?” No he doesn’t. The last thing on his mind is coming to the point.
Annoying! And I can tell you there are many people from the chair of this or that meeting to the interviewee who seems to pop in the studios every local TV station who annoy you all the way to the nearest psychiatrist.
One place to get really annoyed is the social media. A young man who was very active tells me he has run his last lap. “It is over for me. I’ll never use social media again!”
“Really!”
“Really.”
Why is that?
“For a long time I tried to be as rational as I can in my posts. I just share what I think are worthy ideas. I never named names. I never post anything insulting others or any false information.”
What happens is he refused to share some very crude, ethnically biased post. That did it for him; He was categorized with some ethnic group and he says the curses and insults on him were still raining, so friends tell him. For a few weeks now he remains stuck to his decision. Yes the social media is annoying, annoying, annoying.
But what can you do? As the months and years go by it seems the fuel running this world seems to be nothing but social media! Your hands are tied. There is so much annoying stuff there that you need nerves of steel not to be annoyed. What you probably can do is ignore those ‘volcanic’ pages and stick to the rational ones.
But then one nice morning as you browse the posts of one of these nice, rational guys he has flipped over! The guy who was so reconciliatory, so peaceful, so humane all of a sudden turns into a ‘social media warlord.’ Annoying!
Then there is that God’s perfect handiwork. You make ‘the right’ moves and somehow you start having the occasional tea with her. You have made yourself into some sign language expert and try to decode her every gesture. You have read a couple of “How to Know if a Lady is in Love with You!” books.
Her eyes are all over you. For every three sentences you utter she laughs. Bingo! A week later it will be a laugh for every sentence! You’ve hit the jackpot! Until you last cup of tea! “Look, I know you’re a nice guy. But I think we should cut back on our meetings.”
What! The wolves are out to get me again, aren’t they? Who is the devil incarnate who told her I haven’t yet formally said “Sayonara!” to my previous girlfriend?
“But why! Did I say anything or do something wrong?”
“No it’s not that. My boyfriend isn’t happy about our meeting frequently.”
Boyfriend! When you thought that all the dominos have fallen in place and what happens? You’re swallowed by some quicksand you didn’t notice. May the curse fall on that quicksand of a boyfriend! A very annoying experience indeed!
Then there is the guy acts as if the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders. The catch here is that you know the guy doesn’t have shoulders strong enough to carry the fate of his family of four! And he thinks they should give him medals! Annoying!
You’re trying to make honest bread at the work place. You every move is calculated as to prevent you from slipping into some sand. Then this boss comes and asks you,
“Aren’t you yet finished?
“You gave it to me ten minutes ago and you ask me if I am finished a two-hour job!” Annoying!
The Ethiopian herald December 13/2020