Anybody working in a public place will inevitably deal with someone obnoxious. These people used to utterly upset my day. I would stress...my heart raced, mouth dry, thoughts darting around...wondering "did I do something wrong and just didn't realize?" And yeah, sometimes my tolerance for the irretrievably dense is beyond miniscule...and I MIGHT say something slightly snarky...ya think?
BUT: Most of the time people come up to my desk already locked and loaded, ready for battle. Usually they know they've done something wrong--lost a book, kept it until it's weeks overdue or left it outside in the rain until it's a moldy mess--but it can't be THEIR fault...oh no. And if they act obnoxious enough, talk loudly, quickly, and aggressively enough...I'm supposed to give in.
Guess what...
Librarians aren't all pushovers. Yes, some of us are extremely passive-aggressive (meaning yeah, you'll get your way this time, but don't expect me to find "ANYTHING" you are looking for the next time you ask for help), but I'm not. I will give you every chance to find a way to fix the problem. I WANT people to be able to use the library--heck, maybe one day you'll learn not to be an a--wipe, but don't expect that looming over me, talking down to me, calling me "honey" or going to somebody else at the desk is going to make any difference. Astonishingly enough we have these things called "com-pu-ters" and we can keep notes that everyone at the desk can read as soon as we save them!
Man/Woman up. Admit you've made a mistake. We've all done it. I do it several times a day...and I've learned how to apologize, make it right and move on. I don't need to flagellate myself for my mistakes...and neither should you...and I won't do it to you either. Get over yourself. Fix it. Don't make excuses (unless your child really IS in the hospital or your house burned down). Like the Beatles song..."We can work it out."
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