The last couple of days I have been doing work for people who are older than me. By older than me, I mean in their 60s. Siding houses, wallpapering, what-have-you. And in both cases they have annoyed me with their attempts at being funny. What makes it worse is that they both have the exact same material.
Here's the basic premise: They will hover over me and watch me work and then make comments like "Gee, you sure are working slowly" or "Where did your dad get such horrible help" or "Just because it's 5:00 doesn't mean you can go home. You young people don't know what it is to work."
I know they're just trying to be funny, but the thing is, they're failing at it. Instead of using delivery that is light and friendly, they say it in their I-Can-Say-Whatever-I-Really-Feel-If-I-Pretend-I'm-Joking voice. And after 2-1/2 weeks of hearing it over and over and over again it has gone from "not funny" to "really not funny" to "slightly annoying" to "ready to walk off the job at any moment."
If you know me, then you know I like to joke around. That's not what I have a problem with. I just hate it when I'm out in the sun working and they're standing behind me, beer in hand, and making smart-aleck comments to someone they don't even know.
Maybe it's because Dad told them I'm into comedy and they're just trying to be funny. Maybe that's how everyone joked in the '50s. But you're paying me to work on your house, not be funny, and for you my funny isn't free.
No comments:
Post a Comment