THE SPELLER

If I'm being honest, today wasn't a bad day, as many of them have been. Today was quite normal actually which is why this guy stood out from all others, I suppose.  I call him "the speller" because he spelled everything to me.  As I sat there, I was trying to figure out if he thought I was dumb or if he was trying to convince himself that he wasn't.  Or, maybe he thought I was cute and wanted to impress me with his high IQ.  Who knows.  The conversation went like this:  
Me: "Hi. Who are you here to see?"  
Him: "Marvin David. D.A.V.I.D."  (I paused and smiled at him to see if he was seriously spelling David to me. He was. I acknowledged what he said and went on.   
Me: "Okay. What is your last name?"  
Him: "Robert Smith. R.O.B.E.R.T. S.M.I.T.H" (Okay first of all I said last name...  I thought to myself, why is he spelling these easy names to me? I looked around to see if there was a hidden camera somewhere and paused to wait for the middle aged white man to jump out from behind the column at the end of my desk with a microphone in hand and yell surprise, you're on hidden camera! It didn't happen so I went on.)   
Me: "Mr. Smith, what is the name of your company?"   
Him: Rogers, Martin, and Dean," he replied. I tried to talk before he could spell it.  
Me: "Okay sir, please have a sea..." I quickly started. He interrupted and over talked me.  
Him: "R.O.G.E.R.S. M.A.R.T.I.N.D.E.A.N" He smiled when he finished. My mouth hung open.  I really didn't know what to say because what I wanted to say would have been extremely unprofessional and impolite. I didn't know if this was some weird version of Turrets syndrome or what so I decided not to judge the man and instead to just get him out of my face workin' my nerves.  
Me: "Please have a seat over there, Mr. Smith." I said and motioned for him to go as far away from me as possible.  

A few minutes later the administrative assistant came out and greeted him.   
Assistant:  "Someone here for Marvin?" she asked.  He stood up.   
Assistant: "Hi, I'm Melissa. I work for Marvin. What's your last name?"  I had been listening quietly appearing to mind my own business but now I looked up before I could stop myself to get ready for the entertaining reaction Melissa would have to the spelling.   
Him:  "Robert Smith," he said. "But you can just call me Rob."  That's all he said! They walked off, through the glass doors and toward another side of the building.  I sighed.  You can't make this stuff up.

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 23, 2010 at 11:32 PM

    I thought it was interestiog that he spelled for you and not for the assistant. Maybe he thougt you were just another "DUMB BLOND". What an A-- Hole????

    ReplyDelete
  2. A Girl Changing The World :-)April 26, 2010 at 5:33 AM

    Hi Anonymous!
    Sadly I don't believe he thought at all. I'm brunette, ironically, and if I say so myself, I even "look" intelligent--especially with my librarian glasses on. No...I think you were correct that he was just an A-Hole. I see so many... :-( Scary!

    ReplyDelete

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