When I was in academia, there was always a passive agressive war about who takes notes. Sometimes I would be in a meeting with a bunch of PhDs, who would look to the non-doctorate in the room for that bullshit. I once had to say something like, "I'm happy to take my turn occasionally, but I can't participate in the meeting and take the kind of notes that would helpful to anyone but me. If you think that there is more value in me taking notes than participating in the meeting, then it sounds like I don't have anything meaningful to contribute and my time would be better spent elsewhere."

Which sounds like a huge flex, but it was in response to the asshat who would "misremember" what was decided in the meeting and just do what he wanted. When that shit happened (with stuff I cared about), I would respond "my notes say . . ." He said "well, if you take such good notes, why don't you do it for every meeting?"

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Thank goodness my job doesn't involve a whole lot of meetings. That's another reason to be happy with it.

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WTF? Was this man never an actual artist? One of the reasons that I abandoned my dreams of acting was that I found out that fewer than one percent of the actors in SAG made enough money to support themselves.

Yeah, even as a teenager I was practical enough to see which way the wind blew on earning a living as an artist and leaned into Graphic Design classes. I like to eat, and nap on my own couch rather than someone else's. You have to have lots of talent, self-discipline, drive, AND luck to make it in the fine or performing arts.

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good secretarying and AAing is really hard and should be valued more and probably pay and be recognized more.

It use to be that a secretary was a valued role. Almost an apprenticeship in some cases. Second sons would be secretaries for people high up in politics, learn the craft, make connections, etc. Then women started getting secretarial roles about the time that typewriters became standard office equipment. The role was devalued and took on the clerical aspects it has today. But Secretary of State, Secretary of the interior, and so on are reminders of a more elevated time. No one is asking Anthony Blinken to get coffee for meetings.

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I can't participate in the meeting and take the kind of notes that would helpful to anyone but me.

I've occasionally said very similar things. Thankfully no one has pushed back on that at this job.

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Timelies all!

Tired. This week's gonna be tough. Gary has building code hearings all week, which run from 10am until 8 pm most days. He's not "on" all the time, but there's gonna be a lot of times I have to deal with Mr. S on my own. Like now. I'm about to start his bath and getting him ready for bed. sigh...

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I'm sorry for the tough, Sheryl. May the week be shorter than you anticipate.

That's a remarkable admirable comeback, Vortex. In the same circumstance I'd just trot out, "I'm ADHD and I take horrible notes. I mean, I'll do it, but pretty sure even I won't be able to make heads or tails of the results." And it's true. I can't take notes, really.

I taught myself ten-key on calculators OJT, and loved it--one-handed, without looking, while I handled currency and checks with the left hand. I handled $$$ cash daily--other people's money. Math is not my subject, never has been, but I needed the job so I focused and (okay, overfocused, ADHD can be good for that) got the job done. Tellers at the bank we worked with told me they loved to see me coming because my deposits were always on the penny. And my own finances benefitted, too. Once I had my trusty ten-key I stopped bouncing (personal) checks, and actually stretched a paycheck to cover the necessities. There was a shortage of calculators in the office so I went out and bought my own to use in the office and seriously locked it in my desk at night. And took it home with me when I left the job. I still have the calculator, but because times change, and online banking (no fun. Frustrating), I don't get to use it anymore.

Ahem. See also envelope stuffing and stamping with a roll of stamps. No machine could beat me.

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My mother, on the other hand, refused to learn to type because she was NOT going to be a secretary,

This was my mother. She was born in 1931 and there were two tracts for women in her educational setting. Secretarial or Nursing. She chose nursing, and that did not include typing. So she never learned.

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Born in 1985, I never learned to type.

it was in response to the asshat who would "misremember" what was decided in the meeting and just do what he wanted. When that shit happened (with stuff I cared about), I would respond "my notes say . . ." He said "well, if you take such good notes, why don't you do it for every meeting?"

Wow, a true asshat. Damn.

"I'm happy to take my turn occasionally, but I can't participate in the meeting and take the kind of notes that would helpful to anyone but me. If you think that there is more value in me taking notes than participating in the meeting, then it sounds like I don't have anything meaningful to contribute and my time would be better spent elsewhere."

Vortex, I think I'm gonna steal it and use it when the time comes. With your permission, of course.

In other news, I have no idea why the government of my country is really into starting another unnecessary war, but I do not like. At all. And they've been trying. (For those who are not following, mandate on government forming is now in the hands of Netanyahu, who is also on trial. If he fails, mandate will probably go to Lapid or Bennet. And per the newspapers, in the past months Israel has been attacking Syrian and Iranian targets because reasons. So. Do not like. We're still handling the pandemic and post-pandemic here. A war would be even more terrible than usual).

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War as a distraction from the trial and endless failed attempts to form a government seems a super bad plan to me, but probably not to the powers that be. I'm sorry, Shir.

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