The Transition

One day recently, for no apparent reason, my Microsoft Outlook wouldn't display my calendar. It just kept showing this weird table-format instead of the traditional calendar format.

I spent an agonizingly long time clicking around different buttons and pull-down menus on my computer screen trying to change the display back to my normal calendar. I searched every pull-down menu and option and could NOT figure out WHY it wouldn't display my calendar. A couple of times I considered asking for help from one of the lieutenants, but I kept telling myself, "Self, it CAN'T be this hard."

After about 15 minutes of fruitlessly clicking around on Outlook interspersed with banging my head on the desk miscellaneous phone calls, conversations with other people in the office, and other routine office work, I finally gave in and walked over to the playpen bullpen where all the lieutenants sit. I asked if any of them could help me figure out how to get my Outlook calendar to come up on the screen.

They all sorta looked at me with this disbelieving-smirk facial expression that said, "Is he serious?"

One of the lieutenants took pity on me, came over to my computer, and in about 3 seconds and just as many mouse clicks had my calendar up on the screen. Without saying a word, he quietly went back to his desk.

I felt pretty stupid.

Even so, I was glad the LT was able to fix it quickly, and I was especially glad he didn't say out loud what I'm sure he was thinking in his head.

Another one of the lieutenants wasn't willing to let me off the hook that easy. He came over and congratulated me on making "the transition" to becoming a "senior officer." He explained that as you go up in rank, you lose technical competence and have to ask the LTs to figure out the simple things like Microsoft Outlook.

Niiice.