Too much conceit, Chance encounter, and Pour Moi? Variment?

It's a gorgeous day today, sunny with a high of 9 degrees Celcius!  Spring is in the air.  I really don't mind saying goodbye to winter for a few months.  Though, to be fair, it has been a rather mild winter in Ottawa this year.  We never once had a -30 day!

 

 

CONCEIT

Do you notice how much conceit there is out there?  A medical doctor introduces herself and says "My name is Dr. Joyce Officious."  Some of you will remember this as one of my favourite beefs.  Similar to a prof introducing himself as Dr. (or Professor) Joe Blowhot.  Fuck, your name is what's on your ID or birth certificate.  I bet it doesn't say Dr. on it.  Or any other title for that matter.  Stop this verbal masturbation already!

Likewise, these people who set up departments and called themselves the Office of this or that.  They like to think of themselves as Federal Agencies or something.  The Office of the Attorney General or something grandiose like it.  But, seriously, the Office of Marketing and Communications at Etown College?  WTF is that?  For fuck's sake, stop this egomaniacal bullshit.

You may be wondering what brought this on.  It's actually a bit of an accident.  I was just cleaning up my inbox, and noticed a prof had sent out an email to the class (it's not an important one, and besides, I hate her with some passion).  The address says FROM THE DESK OF ELOHSSA DEAHTIHS.  OK, granted this is really quite common.  But why do people do that?  It's from YOU, not from your fucking desk, unless a previously inanimate object grew hands and started writing.  And why desk?  Maybe you sent it while you were sitting on the throne.  In which case would you change it to FROM THE TOILET OF...?

Yeah, I do get carried away...

CHANCE

As I walked out one morning (sorry, Auden, couldn't help it), I saw a man coming towards me.  So, in the name of social distance in these Covid times, I crossed to the other side of the street.  To my annoyance, so did he!  I swore under my breath, but hey, it's a free country (Canada is so NOT China).  Anyway, I was prepared to go out onto the road as we passed each other, since the sidewalk was not 2 meters wide.  Then he stopped, smiled, and say, "Pretty chilly this morning, eh?"  I didn't know him, nor he me.  So I stopped too, and mumbled some reply.  We exchanged pleasantries, wishing each other (notice that since there were just the two of us, it's each other.  More than two, it's one another -- sorry, the teacher in me can't help myself) a good day and stuff.  Waved, and went our separate ways.

But the beauty of it?  It really makes your day, doesn't it?  I mean, stuff like this, little things, can change your mood.  Thank goodness for these little gestures to help us stay sane, stay civilized, and stay positive.  The moral of the story, go ahead, go out there and smile at strangers passing by.  Just be kind.  Won't the world is so much nicer if people were just kind, and not self-serving assholes?

POUR MOI?  VRAIMENT?

Looks like I am getting an award!  Got a call from the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts the other day.  They give a student award to whoever has the highest GPA in their respective areas (mine being Interdisciplinary Studies).  Haha, me?  Well, I certainly didn't go into the program with that in mind.  It's nice to be recognized, but unfortunately there's no money involved.  Darn it!  I asked her whether it would make more sense to give it whoever had the second highest GPA, if the person were a young person starting their career.  But rules are rules, she said.  And she admitted, besides, that it would be good for PR to show that there's more than one path to higher education.  OK, well, it's pretty cool.  Just wish there were money in it!  But you know, I feel this pressure now to make sure I don't do too poorly this last semester and make them wonder about giving me the award, haha.

Hey, folks, this is a big deal for me.  I have NEVER EVER won any award in school.  NEVER!

Well, till next time!  Stay sane!  Be kind!