Because this cold came right on the heels of the last bug I had -- which I am calling Cruise Line Crud even though I have never been on a cruise, which came on the heels of the honest to goodness flu, which came on the heels of my first go round of Cruise Line Crud, I am just drained. 6 weeks of being sick does that to me. I am re-posting some old things.
Anyway, now that I have finished the last of the Dearest Dorothy books I need some humor so I am digging back looking for things from the past that made me laugh. My goal in February is no depressing posts (or posts about depression). This life experience made me laugh ... well, it made me laugh years after I got over the embarrassment...
(written some time in 2012)
Since the last Morton's Neuroma flare-up I haven't taken anything for pain, like Tylenol. After my major panic attack, mini-mental-crash the other day I have had a headache though, and have thought about taking something. Anytime my brain thinks "Tylenol" I think of the old days at the placed I worked.
There was a time when the administration secretary kept "single serving" packets of pain medication in the office supply closet. After I typed that I thought "dosage" would be more appropriate but I like single serving better.
Anyway (and any time I type "anyway" in my brain I hear Ellen's voice as she says that at the end of her show's credits ... if you don't watch Ellen then catch her show at least once to hear her say that at the end) ... have I lost you yet???
Anyway, employees used to be able to go to the admin secretary and get some kind of pain medication (and anyone working with the public on a regular basis has need for pain meds). She stocked three kinds, Excedrin, Tylenol, and a combo pain reliever called Pain-Ease.
If you had a major big headache, or cramps of some sort "go for the big guns and start with Pain-Ease" we used to say. Well, I worked with a young woman, probably 18 years my junior, at one point. I was about 38 at the time, making her most likely 20. Mothering is what I do so I often "mothered" her.
This one day she had a headache, cramps, Aunt Flo was visiting, and she just felt crummy so I said you need some Tylenol ... you sit down and I will go over to the office and get some for you. She said no, get Pain-Ease instead. OK. I trot off to the office.
Before I get there let me tell you a bit about me .... I am clueless in many ways, I am naive, I speak with a funny combination ---- I sometimes talk really fast but people tell me I have a definite southern drawl, as in I really pronounce my vowels. I'm guessing when I say Pain-Ease it sounded something more like Payyyne-Eeese, except sorta fast too.
Well, I get to the admin office and the supply closet door is locked. It was lunch time and the secretary always locked up when she left her office for lunch. OK, fine, the receptionist or a couple of women in the adjoining offices also had a key and so I looked in their offices for them. No other woman was around.
Men used to terrify me. I prefer to deal with women. Oh, I should also insert that at that time of my life male authority figures really intimidated me. Ok, back to my story.
I couldn't find a woman to ask but the assistant director (a man, who sat in on my evaluations, who was my boss's boss) was watching the office reception area from the open door of his office. He asked if he could help me and I said "no, I will just come back when the secretary is here." Nice man that he was, he said something like "well, I would be happy to help you, what did you need from the supply closet?"
Obviously he heard me try to open the door. (Picture me sort of stuttering and intimidated by this -just-under-the-big-boss-in-authority male) "Ohhkay, well, I was looking for some Pain-Ease." He looks at me with a really weird look on his face, followed by a long moment of silence, and then he says "Uh, uumm, I don't think we have any in the supply closet."
Hhmmm. Strange. Not knowing what else to say ("OK, thank you anyway" would have been a good choice but it didn't enter my mind at the time) so I said "Oh... I've always been able to get some...." (him, looking embarrassed) ... uncomfortable silence .... slowly says "well, I don't know where they would be" (me --- thinking what is wrong with him, duh, they have always been right there on the shelf at eye level) so I say "you know, right next to the Tylenol."
He says "ohkayyy", and gets up, goes to the supply closet, sort of not looking at me, and unlocks the door. He steps in the big walk in closet, hesitantly looks at the shelves and I point and say "see, Pain-Ease, right there." He picks up a packet, sighs a BIG light-bulb-going-off sigh, gets beet red in the face and says "OOHHH, okay. Here you go."
I thanked him and got the heck outta Dodge! As I walked back to my department I was going over that scene in my mind wondering why in the heck he was acting so weird when I just asked for some Pain-Ease, and why would that make him get beet red??? And then it dawned on me ..... he must have been hearing me say I need some "panties."
20 years later and any time I think of any kind of pain reliever, or think of panties, I relive that sensation of wishing the floor would open up and swallow me. Whenever I am think about that day I often laugh at myself til tears run down ... my face, silly. :)
Anyway, now that I have finished the last of the Dearest Dorothy books I need some humor so I am digging back looking for things from the past that made me laugh. My goal in February is no depressing posts (or posts about depression). This life experience made me laugh ... well, it made me laugh years after I got over the embarrassment...
(written some time in 2012) Since the last Morton's Neuroma flare-up I haven't taken anything for pain, like Tylenol. After my major panic attack, mini-mental-crash the other day I have had a headache though, and have thought about taking something. Anytime my brain thinks "Tylenol" I think of the old days at the placed I worked.
There was a time when the administration secretary kept "single serving" packets of pain medication in the office supply closet. After I typed that I thought "dosage" would be more appropriate but I like single serving better.
Anyway (and any time I type "anyway" in my brain I hear Ellen's voice as she says that at the end of her show's credits ... if you don't watch Ellen then catch her show at least once to hear her say that at the end) ... have I lost you yet???
Anyway, employees used to be able to go to the admin secretary and get some kind of pain medication (and anyone working with the public on a regular basis has need for pain meds). She stocked three kinds, Excedrin, Tylenol, and a combo pain reliever called Pain-Ease.
If you had a major big headache, or cramps of some sort "go for the big guns and start with Pain-Ease" we used to say. Well, I worked with a young woman, probably 18 years my junior, at one point. I was about 38 at the time, making her most likely 20. Mothering is what I do so I often "mothered" her.
This one day she had a headache, cramps, Aunt Flo was visiting, and she just felt crummy so I said you need some Tylenol ... you sit down and I will go over to the office and get some for you. She said no, get Pain-Ease instead. OK. I trot off to the office.
Before I get there let me tell you a bit about me .... I am clueless in many ways, I am naive, I speak with a funny combination ---- I sometimes talk really fast but people tell me I have a definite southern drawl, as in I really pronounce my vowels. I'm guessing when I say Pain-Ease it sounded something more like Payyyne-Eeese, except sorta fast too.
Well, I get to the admin office and the supply closet door is locked. It was lunch time and the secretary always locked up when she left her office for lunch. OK, fine, the receptionist or a couple of women in the adjoining offices also had a key and so I looked in their offices for them. No other woman was around.
Men used to terrify me. I prefer to deal with women. Oh, I should also insert that at that time of my life male authority figures really intimidated me. Ok, back to my story.
I couldn't find a woman to ask but the assistant director (a man, who sat in on my evaluations, who was my boss's boss) was watching the office reception area from the open door of his office. He asked if he could help me and I said "no, I will just come back when the secretary is here." Nice man that he was, he said something like "well, I would be happy to help you, what did you need from the supply closet?"
Obviously he heard me try to open the door. (Picture me sort of stuttering and intimidated by this -just-under-the-big-boss-in-authority male) "Ohhkay, well, I was looking for some Pain-Ease." He looks at me with a really weird look on his face, followed by a long moment of silence, and then he says "Uh, uumm, I don't think we have any in the supply closet."
Hhmmm. Strange. Not knowing what else to say ("OK, thank you anyway" would have been a good choice but it didn't enter my mind at the time) so I said "Oh... I've always been able to get some...." (him, looking embarrassed) ... uncomfortable silence .... slowly says "well, I don't know where they would be" (me --- thinking what is wrong with him, duh, they have always been right there on the shelf at eye level) so I say "you know, right next to the Tylenol."
He says "ohkayyy", and gets up, goes to the supply closet, sort of not looking at me, and unlocks the door. He steps in the big walk in closet, hesitantly looks at the shelves and I point and say "see, Pain-Ease, right there." He picks up a packet, sighs a BIG light-bulb-going-off sigh, gets beet red in the face and says "OOHHH, okay. Here you go."
I thanked him and got the heck outta Dodge! As I walked back to my department I was going over that scene in my mind wondering why in the heck he was acting so weird when I just asked for some Pain-Ease, and why would that make him get beet red??? And then it dawned on me ..... he must have been hearing me say I need some "panties."
20 years later and any time I think of any kind of pain reliever, or think of panties, I relive that sensation of wishing the floor would open up and swallow me. Whenever I am think about that day I often laugh at myself til tears run down ... my face, silly. :)
"Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves, for we shall never cease to be amused."
Author: Unknown
Author: Unknown
I did guess where this was going, but what a funny connection you have to pain relief medicine.
ReplyDeleteHi LInda! I am so glad to see you are feeling well enough to be online. I hope your recovery goes smooth and quickly, and you are back going for your walks.
DeleteThis made me laugh out loud--definitely laughing with you.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got a good laugh and that is why I shared it --- a good belly laugh is good for us! Have a wonderful day !
Delete