Whine, Whine, Bitch, and Moan

We're getting a new employee the first of October. I only know one thing about him: he has the same first name as me.

And I know how stupid and petty this is, but I really wish he didn't.

Why, some of the more bored among you, may be asking.

Because from first grade all the way through eighth grade, I always had to share my name with someone else in my class. In sixth grade, there were four of us in same class. All. Day. Long. And the worst thing was that there were four sixth grade classes at my elementary school. Also, during those years, the others with my name were basically jackasses. Oh, each a different kind -- the jock, the white trash, the preppy -- to be sure, but jackasses.

In ninth grade, I only had one class where someone shared my name. It was such a relief not having to put my last initial on everything I turned in to the teacher because I was the only one with the name.

During the rest of high school, I had a friend who I shared my name with, but that was easier to handle because he was my friend and he was a year below me, so we didn't have every other class together. And I'd shared my name with other people for so long, I was used to it.

In college, to the best of my knowledge, I didn't have to share my name with anyone in any of my classes or out in the regular world. It was like suddenly being more myself because I was only one with my name. I didn't need a nickname or an extra letter hanging off the end to distinguish myself. When teachers called my name, I knew it was me they were talking to; I didn't have to ask, "Which one?"

Jeez, that sounds nutty, doesn't it?

Still, in a little over a week, someone with my name will be working here in the same position. People here are coming around and asking me what my last name is so they have an idea of what to call me. (And because they're morons. I know their last names.) Anytime I'll need an attorney's office to send me something, I'll have to give them my last name to make sure it comes to me.

I'll miss being a little unique around here.

PS I just found out that, at least according to SUSM, what I bring to this place that I work is putting files into boxes to be shipped out. That's what I do better than anyone else.

'Course, she's not taking into account that no one else does it. Maybe she doesn't realize that if I didn't do it, it wouldn't get done. How do I know this? Because if she doesn't notice me doing the boxing, she'll come over to me two weeks after it should have happened to remind me that it needs to get done.

Maybe that's my problem when I interview for jobs. I try to sell them on my curiosity and my willingness to learn as much as on my ability to do the job, maybe I should tell them how good I am at doing thoughtless grunt work, too.