Whoever said there was no such thing as a stupid question needs to come do my job for a day. Hell, not even a day, just come in on Monday morning and read through my inbox. Maybe I am slightly jaded...maybe I'm just pissed off that it is Monday... maybe it is Street Fair time again... regardless-I came in today to read a message filled with questions about exceptions to rules, because every vendor has some sort of special circumstance...yes, yes, you are incredibly unique and deserve my undivided attention because you sell jewelry and photography or soap and pottery so OBVIOUSLY the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to you. Thousands of artists have applied before you and somehow managed to get that 'please include photographs of all items sold' means we want to see what kind of items you are selling... not that each item you are selling needs to be photographically catalouged with your application. Give me enough information to make a decision as to whether or not I should accept you, and where I will place you and then SHUT UP!!! You only hurt yourself by disclosing too much information.
Obviously these people have never shipped something across country... you know, you go to the post office- the lady behind the counter who hears a special story about how the rules need not apply at the rate of 10 'special cases' an hour asks-'Is there anything liquid or perishable in the package?'
and a formally too honest for your own good me says, 'Why yes, yes there is liquid in there...'
to which the lady responds 'Oh? What is the liquid?'
and I respond full of pride and honesty 'Wine'
Her eyebrows furrow and she exasperates 'WINE?! Oh no no no, you cannot ship wine'
And I walk out of the post office, pissed off at my terminal honesty, get in my car, drive to fed ex and ship the damned wine as olive oil as I should have in the first damned place.
I'm not advocating lying, I have as much disdain for lying as I do stupid questions, all I'm saying is that sometimes, maybe not telling someone everything is better for all parties involved... I don't need to know nor do I give a shit if you have a business partner, I also do not want to sift through 387 photos of your trinkets... just exercise some sort of discretion for crying out loud! None of us are ever remotely as important as we think we are... so, let's all get out from under the plague of terminal uniqueness that Mr. Rogers gave us and realize that we are more one grain of sand by the ocean than we are snowflakes falling from the sky. I am not unique, or special or even an individual, I fall into the herd mentality more often than I would like to admit... but, I admit it. Come on people, we can work together, as long as you get that you are not the only fish in the sea, my time is as precious to me as your handmade pine cone and buckeye necklaces are to you.
