arrogant

is that how I strike you?

I have a colleague with whom I have never really had any kind of contact except for last summer when we fought over a room that we shared. We had been scheduled in a truly unfortunate fashion with my class ending exactly at 3:00 and hers starting exactly at 3:00, so that there was no time for shuffling in or shuffling out. I thought she was graceless and I resented her for exacerbating an already unpleasant situation. Now, whenever I run into her, if we make eye contact, I nod and move on.

However, today we were alone in the office and she told me that she has always found me arrogant--she repeated this a number of times--and that she hates all the tension between us. We then rehashed the old argument about whose feelings were injured first, and how I responded so aggressively to her when she approached me about the time conflict that she thought "whoops!" Yes, she thought "whoops" a number of times about the way we interacted, my responses were so erratic as to deserve repeated "whoops." I reminded her of the fact that at one point in our protracted standoff last summer, she told me I was immature, not nice, and impolite. I then suggested that she shouldn't expect to have people she has insulted to fall all over themselves to say hi to her. Then, she busts out with the recollection that, years ago at a reception, we were both at the food table and she said hello to me and I didn't respond. And that she felt that I treated her like she was not worth talking to, further! a piece of dirt. "Who do you think you are?" she asked. I have no idea what she's talking about and thus must plead the fifth or waxy buildup as I'm generally grateful when people engage me in conversation at receptions.

But seriously: if you want someone to say hello to you and you want to put an end to tension, is calling that person arrogant really the right move?


THE LISTS

to do class: Write JM recommendation. Grade midterms. Write Catullus lecture. Get Catullus study questions. Copy notes from King's Vergil 4AW.
done! Graded 5 q1s off the midterm. Wrote Catullus lecture. Organized Catullus class.

to do work: Write Pépin performatic writing section. Read Roach.
done! Wrote two solid Pépin paragraphs...almost done with the performatic writing section for Pépin!

to do life: Pay down debt (currently $3,430). Procure dog. Redo taxes. Call Jessie Delgado; at your service. Take back step up to library before school. Copy portions of Caribeños and take it back to library at school. Copy Roach. Bring two Horace quizzes. Figure out Amazon.com problem. Repot ginko tree.
done! Set up At your service. Copied Roach. Brought in Horace quizes. Did dishes. Returned all items to both libraries.

to do blitz: sarah, marilyn, giulia, irmary, mariana, dar, nv, robin, fl, ek.