Etiquette Smetiquette

My coworker and I are in the midst of scheduling conference calls with a number of international Olympiads. (Don't ask.)

My first two calls yesterday, just to get on their calendars, went something like this:
1) I can't talk right now; I'm in the middle of a competition (voice: agitated)
2) I can't talk right now; I'm in the middle of a clinic (voice: whispering)

I asked Jennifer, "Why are these people even answering their phones? Don't they use voice mail?"

Immediately thereafter, she called a guy who said, "Can you call me back later? I'm in the men's room." Then he continued to talk to her for a few minutes.

Has the world gone crazy? I have no problem bringing the phone into the bathroom when I'm chatting with my girlfriends (!) but I don't typically answer it when I'm performing in front of a panel of judges. My medals are too important to me.

Rude Behavior

My boss took a call from her daughter yesterday while we were meeting and promptly said, "I cannot talk right now; I'll call you back tonight." I appreciate the minimal interruption given we have limited time together.

When I worked at Amex, one of my bosses used to take calls from his wife and little kids in the middle of meetings and actually carry on lengthy conversations with them about nothing (e.g., "What did you do in preschool today, Jack?") while we sat there. Obnoxious. Disrespectful. Horrific waste of time. Standard for him.

It drove my coworker Marsha, who sat right outside his office, absolutely bonkers. So, whenever I was in a meeting with him, Marsha took to dialing "9" to get an outside line (to avoid being ID'd) and called him. The phone would ring, he would pick up, she would hang up and he would comment, "I keep getting hang-ups lately." Oh really?

Made me smile.

Social Etiquette

When I was little, there were very strict, unspoken guidelines regarding how to treat our elders. There were certain things we did not say in front of the neighbors (or you got the snake eye!) and other things we would never dream of saying to our grandparents (or God knows what would happen).

One morning, when my grandfather was visiting, one by one, each of us entered the kitchen to have our cereal. Every kid, upon glancing at the milk carton said something sarcastic like, "What idiot opened the carton from the wrong end?" to which my grandfather responded, "I did." We were so horrified to have insulted him (with what now appears to be a mild infraction but at the time was akin to committing an unmentionable sin), that some lame, dutiful response immediately followed. "Oh, that's okay, Grandpa."

My kids, on the other hand, have taken to repeatedly telling my mom that she is "old and wrinkled." She seems to be taking it well and laughing about it but I want to throttle them. Today they added "weak" to their list. Actually, as someone who regularly helps her pump her gas, I happen to agree with that last modifier!

I just hope my grandkids are kinder to me.