I worked as a secretary for a very insecure paralegal in a law firm. Everything I did and said as a personal affront and a personal attack. She was convinced that I was out to get her job — a thankless piece of crap job that no one in their right mind would want. She would bring me assignments and this is an actual conversation we had:
HER: Here are three files, I have tapes with each one and I want the one on top first and then the next one and then the next one.
ME: Okay, sure, I will get right on the first one and then do the next one and the next one.
HER: I SAID I wanted the first one, are you TRYING to get cute with me?
ME: No, I said I would do just what you asked me to do.
HER: Shoots me dirty look and tromps off. Calls her buddy the office manager and my “insubordination” goes in my file.
Her work was dreadful, her command of the English language terrifyingly inadequate, her grammar appalling and when she’d dictate, she couldn’t read words of more than about 2 syllables. She was trying to dictate summaries of depositions of people in medical malpractice cases and her mangling of the words was simply unbelievable. I was in the sad situation of “do I correct her or not?” There was no right answer. If I corrected her, then I was trying to act like I was better than her and she would quickly react. But if I didn’t correct her, her boss would react with scathing comments and she’d blame me.