Never Underestimate a School Secretary

The other day I wrote about Department Chair Julia and how she could talk about paper and pens for hours on end but couldn't bring herself to order any without the boss' permission.  I mentioned how I thought of her often whenever I encountered people at work who couldn't help themselves even when it was in their power to do so.

We don't have any Department Chair Julias in our department right now because the climate has changed in the 20+ years I've worked here.  People who can't think for themselves or do anything without the direct blessing of the boss are left to rot and molder at their lower level positions where they won't clog up the works that much.  So what we have instead are Julias who want to be Department Chair.

Some of the Julias are young and inexperienced and that feeds their inner helplessness.  Those ones hold promise because sooner or later they get it and start standing up for themselves.  They work themselves up in the world.  However, a handful of Julias have been here since the dawn of time and don't get it at all.  They complain about how they aren't Department Chairs but won't do anything to better themselves and make themselves become Department Chair material.

Just like the Julia from my previous story, those folks come to me and wax poetic about their lots in life. They don't believe me when I tell them to the solution to their problem.  They say I don't "get it" or that I don't understand.  Oh, but I do. I do.

The Fine Print: Another thing that has changed in the 20+ years I've worked here is that only the area secretaries can order office supplies.  Nowadays Julia would be justified in asking me for more paper, but my boss would still think she was wasting his time if she were to ask him.  Instead I waste his time asking permission to order a helicopter for our department.  It never gets approved though.  Stamps by Crafty Secrets Clear Art Stamps, background die by Spellbinders, bra die by MFT.