WorldWide Drilling Resource

44 DECEMBER 2014 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® The “Idiots” Corner by “Billy Bob Smith” “It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.” Mark Twain Every day, sooner or later, we all have to deal with an idiot or idiotic things; whether it’s the moron tailgating us at 70 miles per hour, or the person in line in front of us asking stupid questions for 20 minutes. Or some customer serv- ice representative who hates their job. Or it could be a customer who, if you knew then what you know now, you would never have agreed to do business with. Eachmonth in this column, I will share a variety of idiot experiences - mine and others - some that are insignificant, making you just shake your head; whi le others can lead to greater stress, frustration, or even failure. If you would like to con- tribute to this column, anony- mously of course, just send an e-mail and they will forward your comments to me for pos- sible inclusion. If you want to submit something - please no personal references, no disrespectful words, and no profanity - and keep it under 100 words. I hope this column makes you laugh, smi le, or just shake your head. Here are this month’s idiot examples. Enjoy. The Government: The Department of Health and Human Services plans to spend $500 mi l l ion on a program that will, among other things, seek to solve the problem of five-year-old children who “can’t sit still” in a kindergarten classroom. Intelligence: Many smart people indulge a dangerous combination of ego and logic and behave as though being right all the time is somehow endearing (it's the oppo- site). It's bad when they argue a point they're misinformed about, but it can be even more embarrass- ing for them when they insist on arguing facts against someone's long-held beliefs. It Is What It Is: While it may feel Zen-like to say this, what you are really saying is, "I have nothing to add to the situation, no means of fixing it, and I can't even describe it." If you want to sound insightful, focus on one aspect and comment on it. Communication: People often inter- rupt you by saying, “I don’t mean to interrupt but...? The only time this type of interjection is okay is if you’re pointing out a fire or some other emergency reason for interrupting. But interrupting someone just to give a rebuttal is downright stupid. Relationships: Say “I do” when you really want to say “I don’t”. Business: Buy a business just to have more money coming in the front door regardless of whether you know anything about the business or not. Drinking: Are surprised you have a hangover after a night of boozing it up? Traveling: Assuming the airplane was built for your comfort. Selling: Believing you know more about your product or service than your customer. Managing: Hiring people based on what’s on their résumé. Kids: Letting them run rampant in public places while others are trying to relax. That’s it for this month folks...y’all have a great few weeks. Billy Bob Contact him via e-mail at michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com