These Things Really Happen

before

Almost two years ago, I cut all of my hair off.  There were good reasons for it, but it was hard and I was more than a little bitter about it at the time.  And it was when my hair was cut that this weird thing started to happen at work.  I’d be walking down the hall and someone would say, “Hey, Anne-girl!” It took me a while to notice this was happening a lot.  Then a doctor came up to me and started rambling on about an immunization project and did I have that data and could we get together later in the week to discuss…

after

I interrupted, “I don’t think I am who you think I am.”  The programmer next to me burst out laughing and introduced me.  “This is The Magic Princess.  She is not Anne-girl.”

After that, I noticed it all the time.  The CFO stopped me in the gift shop, “Hi Anne-girl, how’s your day?”  It got to the point that I would just smile and say hello back because I didn’t want anyone to think this Anne-girl was rude through no fault of her own.

Several months later, I went to a meeting and knew right away that the girl already seated, wearing a similar plaid skirt, blue sweater combination, was the mythical Anne-girl.  To shorten the story, and get to the part about today, let’s just sum up by saying that as soon as we learned we were both knitters, readers, coders, and generally kindred spirits, we became friends. This is the best part of my work.  There are good people there!

We have a decent system now.  If someone thanks me for something I’m sure I didn’t do, I forward the message.  She does the same.  So far it is working.

Today, she sent me this email:

Just had someone insist that I was at a meeting that had to do with overdue orders for the lab or something… I said, no, I’m not The Magic Princess.  She said, “Oh, I know, but weren’t you at that meeting with Dr. X?”  “No, that was The Magic Princess.”

We went back and forth a few times.  Eventually she believed me.

not related

These things really happen.  And you know what else?  I’m not so upset about that haircut anymore.