Feels Like Being a Kid Again

Today, work at the survey shop was tough.  I think they put me on the "everyone hates me" list.  I had a LARGE number of irate people swearing at me and hanging up. I haven't been sworn at so much since I was a young teenager living at home. It was hard to stay unfazed by it even though I know it wasn't personal.  I just don't like being sworn at - it's not what I consider a good time.

There WERE moments where I considered saying, "Sir, if you can be this abusive to a complete stranger, your family must suffer a hundred times more."  Or "I'm sorry sir, you seem to have a speech impediment - I'm having difficulty understanding what you are saying." Or even, "Gee, are you related to my father?".  Toward the end of my shift, after I felt worn down by the abuse I DID think, "F you and the horse you rode in on!" but I certainly never said any such thing!

I realize that these people are frustrated by all the calls generated by our company.  I also realize that we are intruding on them.  I wish there was a way to make the process pleasant for both of us. I am simply doing my job. In spite of all the reasons we give them to be irritated, it doesn't give them license to abuse us. It's along the lines of a former boyfriend who said, "I wouldn't get angry if people didn't make me angry" as justification for his explosive rages.

No one MAKES us anything; not angry, not frustrated, not irritated, not anything.  We do that to ourselves.

I realize that I allowed myself to become worn down by the swearing and abusive words. In the past I protected myself from that type of abuse by avoiding contact with my parents.  It allowed me to distance myself from the people that felt abuse was their right to dish out. Now, at work, I can't simply hang up or leave the situation. So, I have to just buck up and get through this time.

I'm REALLY looking forward to working elsewhere.