hermitgeecko

At the request of my supervisor, I sent out an email today to my coworkers explaining a peculiar situation that had come up and how it was to be handled. I had denied a parking permit to a person who had what was (apparently, but not actually) all the appropriate paperwork for the permit. Because his paperwork looked correct, I had to notify my coworkers so that he couldn't just "shop around" for someone who didn't know any better. Thus, the email.

I asked one of my coworkers later in the day whether she had any questions about the email. "Oh, that?" she said. "I didn't understand it, so I deleted it."

Obviously, there is a lack of respect issue at hand, but what really astonished me was her attitude. I've heard her make the same comment before, but never quite in those words. (And never before about something I sent... but I'm not in the habit of sending division-wide email unless specifically instructed to do so.)

When I don't understand something related to my job, I go back to the party sending the email (or the "with questions, ask..." person) and ask what was meant by the initial email. I'm not shy; if someone cared enough to send the email in the first place, then that person obviously wants to be understood. Why wouldn't you? If you give even half a damn about it, shouldn't you want to know as much as you can about your job, so that you can do it as well as possible? (My coworker's answer is apparently "no"... but, then, I wonder whether she gives half a damn.)

I'm amazed. Just amazed.

How do people get through life that way?