Moi, je n'aime pas....

...les personnes qui ne sont pas courtois.

I conduct all business with a pleasant voice and a smile. There are these two different departments I work with, and one makes a lot of mistakes but is always polite and kind, the other makes fewer errors but is extremely unpleasant to interact with. I will take the less competant but friendly people

ANY. DAY.

I have to tell you that today some of the ugliest rage and most unprofessional behavior was unleashed upon me, a mere message bearer. Yes, my boss screwed up and she was angry, and yes, perhaps my title doesn't afford me the respect that she may have shown my superior, but I am still a person who deserves respect! So while she waived her hands around, spit sarcasm like venom, and worked her eyebrows up and down in all kinds of arrogant pre-adolescent "what-everrrr" kind of ways, I thought to myself "This interaction is the last of its kind". I put a thin smile on my face while she and her red face ranted in front of her co-miserable co-worker and the room of embarrassed student workers, said goodbye, and started composing my "I'm sorry you're miserable but we need to work together and I will not tolerate that kind of disrespect again" letter in my head. Got back, wrote it, and sent it. In my humble opinion it was a pretty good email.

I think you would agree, mes amies, that even when we are frustrated beyond belief or so overwhelmed that we feel like we are gasping for oxygen, we must treat other human beings with, at minimum, dignity and respect. Anything on top of that, like courtesy, charm, sincerity, care, humor, and especially a smile, is all icing on a perfectly pleasant sort of cake.

And to make up for the negative nature of this post (I do apologize, by the way, but I just couldn't start my weekend without getting this off my chest), I shall now list lots of things que j'aime beaucoups: butterflies, hot water beating on my head in the shower, the sound of my dog lapping up water, listening to my husband crack up at a movie when no one else is in the room, leatherbound journals, noodle soups, observing people in public, guilt-free sick days, steamed clams, pasta fagioli, halloween and costumes, being coached or taught, playing with words, and les personnes gentilles such as yourselves.