Absolute Favorite Reference Call

I can't blog about the specifics, but I had a very trying phone call this afternoon while on the reference desk. The poor woman was having trouble grasping my answer, mainly that we did not have what she wanted, and I had to keep repeating it, along with a phone number for another agency. Maintaining a polite, patient tone can be difficult after 10 minutes of such repitition. But she saved my sanity by asking, once she was satisfied with the answer, if she could send me a couple of Tylenols or maybe some Advil. There was a chuckle in her voice. I said, no, lauhged, and joked that chocolate was preferred. She asked if I wanted a cherry on top. Not liking cherries, I said, no, that wasn't necessary.

It's very hard to be irritated by people who are as self-aware as this woman, yet, not only did she show appreciation for my time and awareness of her difficulty in grasping the basic info, she had the intelligence and wit to not harp or whine or worse, apologize. I hate when people apologize for being slow. I work with people who have disabilities. I understand we're not all equally able. That woman made my week.

Feeling: , but not about the Mets who blew tonight's playoff game

~~~o0o~~~
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