I was walking down the hall leading to the emergency room last night when I passed two nurses in their winter coats, in the middle of their shift (obviously going out to smoke cigarettes). We exchanged hellos and as we were parting ways, I said playfully, "Hey, you know, smoking is bad for you."
To which one replied, "Yeah, so is being a bitch"
Huh...WTF??????????
I was so stunned because that comment came out of the blue that I could only call out, "Hey, that was uncalled for!"
In my fantasy world, without missing a beat, I would have immediately volleyed back, "Then you'd better quit, shouldn't you" or "It takes one to know one" or better yet, "Oh fancy that, a talking female dog!"
In the real world, I fumbled...hahaha...not that I would have been that rude anyway. My father has always said, "You do not have to sink to their level to fight them," an advice that I've taken to heart. Still, I sometimes wish that I did have a quicker, wittier tongue.
UPDATE: I went to work today and was told by said nurse above that she meant that being a bitch was not good for her.....not me. A fellow colleague had asked her about our little exchange and suddenly realized that her comment could have been perceived as insulting to me and apologized. Since I smiled at her as soon as I saw her today (even before hearing the explanation), she realized that I had no hard feelings. Alles gute!
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5 comments:
Yeah that really was uncalled for. Sigh I wish I was wittier with my tongue too. Many a time, I'd be screaming the words in my head AFTER the incident's happened, but by then, I often ended up looking like the fool. Your dad's right, no need to sink to their level, but that does not mean those words should pass without notice nor reprimand.
If I had a quicker tongue, I might have said "Awww, why you calling yourself that?" :p Big, big IF :p
Tine: Yeah, I would be okay with it if it were busy at the ER and people were tense but it was not and she was just going to smoke. Sheesh....
Laksa and Char Koay Teow today. As far as the smokers are concerned, they can go hack up a lung... good for MY business.
You need one of those brain enhancement drinks...smarter, taller, see straighter, able to fly aeroplanes.......
Playful or not, nobody wants to hear it. And I'm sure they keep hearing it. And they know it. They're nurses, for God's sake. They see the train wrecks.
What kind of addiction do you think it has to be for them to be standing outside in the kind of weather we've been having? Voluntarily. Multiple times in a shift.
Yes, calling you a b*$%& was uncalled for. Rudeness and profanity is always uncalled for. Although, technically, they didn't call you anything, they just pointed out that being a certain something was bad for you. =]
And next time, maybe you can just bark at them.
El Dohpod: You are just selling out to the man :)
the godsister: I guess I won't be commenting on anyone's smoking habits again. Since they are healthcare providers as well as educated adults, they can make their own choices.
I never bark. Maybe whinge a little but I usually give face to everyone there.
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