When I Was In College, I Didn't Know ...

I was a sensitive young man, sometimes confused by social situations and dynamics, trying hard to understand. In the years after college I finally started to see patterns in circumstances that had baffled me or caused me pain. I began to write them down, so that I would not forget. And after several years, I had compiled the collection set forth below.

I first published my list on Co-Create UMBC four years ago, and have re-posted it each year. I hope you find something that resonates with you. There is a second list, compiled since I arrived at UMBC in 2003, which I'll post in the coming week.

A very large portion of people’s behavior is driven by insecurity. And a very large portion of the behavior that stems from insecurity can look like confidence.

In many situations, people face a choice between doing something in a way that feels right, resonates, comes from the heart, makes sense, and fits the moment; or doing the thing in the way that they think they are supposed to do it. Examples: Giving a speech; proposing marriage; dealing with somebody’s emotional crisis; disciplining a child; interviewing a job candidate; responding “heroically” to a threat. More often than not, the genuine approach produces more satisfying results. And more often than not, people instead choose to do what they think they are supposed to do. (Part of the problem is that people’s sense of what they are supposed to do comes from many sources, including media, that present the relevant situations in misleading ways. For example, the media may capture the mechanical aspects of an effective speech but not the way the words match the emotions of the moment).

Situations take a while to play out. There’s no need to panic, or to assume that what initially seems to be true will always be true.

People tend to overreact.

A situation that has been imagined, read about, etc. may not be easily recognized when it becomes a real situation. This is because the feel of the imagined situation may have been very distinctive, but the real situation feels much more like every other real situation. Examples: “corruption,” “falling in love,” “heroism.”

In many situations, a variety of motivations drive people’s choice of actions. These motivations can range from deeply spiritual to simply practical. However, over time, the more abstract motivations tend to be forgotten, and the more practical motivations remembered and acted upon. It’s hard to cling to a concept; but practicalities—deadlines, costs, etc.—are hard to forget, and create their own inertia. As a result, people repeatedly find themselves going through the motions: continuing to do things that they once made the choice to do, but without retaining any sense of connection to their deepest needs and motivations. They feel lost, and their activities provide no real sustenance.

People are not their roles.

Many situations apparently resolved through formal processes, such as hiring staff, or creating legislation, are really resolved through a complex combination of formal and informal processes. Very often, the informal processes—which may be unacknowledged and hidden from view—are the more important ones.

The key to effective communication is to understand one’s audience. And a lot of people can’t or don’t bother to understand many audiences for their communications.

People may have to hear the same good idea many times before it enters their consciousness.

Ideas are not appreciated or rewarded in proportion to their truth, beauty, explanatory power, or even social value. Other factors typically matter more. Among them: The credentials of the idea’s originator (however arbitrary their connection to the idea); the prospect that somebody can turn a profit from the idea; and the degree to which the idea departs from, or even improves upon, accepted wisdom (the more it does, the less likely it will be appreciated and rewarded).

Often people want things for reasons they can’t quite put their finger on. It’s just something that they feel—maybe the subtle combination of a number of subjective factors (“I want Chinese food—even though we had Chinese last night;” “I want to go home now;” “I want this job despite the fact that it pays less than the other one”). Because they are personal impulses rather than the products of reasoning, these desires can be difficult to assert or defend. In forums where a collective decision is being made, logical arguments may be favored and impulsive arguments dismissed. But the impulses are real, and their connection to people’s welfare is real as well. It is perfectly legitimate to act on such impulses, and to resist the people who try to defeat them with arguments.

Many actions appear to reflect clear, easily inferred motives but in fact do not. People and institutions do all sorts of things that may seem planned, polished and connected to a strategic agenda, but actually are the products of inertia, laziness, whim, jittery responses to incomplete information, or other motives more complex or confused than they seem.

Social change happens in a gestalt—not as the result of any single well-conceived, well-executed program, policy or intervention. There is no single initiative that will save the world. This is because people, institutions, relationships and cultures are extremely complex. Any single action aimed at social change, however well-conceived and widely supported, is likely to be challenged, diverted, thwarted, misunderstood and/or misapplied in a thousand different ways. But honest, thoughtful efforts can have a cumulative effect. Slowly, person-by-person, relationship-by-relationship, they shift the underlying culture and expectations. So the good that we do is not always the immediate good that we intend.

People express opinions for a lot of different reasons. That they really, deeply believe in what they are saying is only one of them.

Overly zealous advocacy of a certain perspective alienates people who might otherwise have adopted that perspective in due time.

The most insidious way to attack or undermine an idea is to call something else by its name.

There are many situations that feel rotten, even when handled perfectly. (Examples: consoling somebody on the death of a friend; apologizing for a mistake that caused a lot of harm). So it is a mistake to assume from the rotten feeling that you have said or done the wrong thing.

A picture left in the same place on the wall long enough will become invisible.

Some things can be learned only through experience.

When the true relationship between cause and effect is unknown, very simple patterns can appear vastly more complicated than they really are.

Perceptions freeze more easily than situations. Once a person has formed a perception of a situation, he or she is likely to miss the fact that the situation has shifted subtly or gradually over time.

Ambiguities in the early part of an arrangement can be costly to resolve. They may be the only things making the arrangement possible. Business deals, marriages, friendships—all may depend on the parties failing to reveal and resolve conflicts in their perceptions about the facts behind their transactions. If one of the parties, at the commencement of an arrangement, sees that these unresolved conflicts may exist, it can be very tempting to keep quiet about them and hope for the best. But the cost of cleaning up the messes that can arise when these conflicts come to light later, long after all parties have begun to take actions consistent with their own perceptions, can be far, far greater. In general, it is much better to name and attempt to resolve ambiguities on the front end of an arrangement rather than risk the catastrophe of having them derail the arrangement later.

Justice is often associated with equality. “Splitting the difference” has a ring of fairness to it. Exhibiting “balance” in reporting on a situation—for example, devoting the same amount of journalistic space to each side of a controversy—seems evenhanded. But in situations in which there actually is a fundamental underlying inequality, treating people equally is fundamentally unjust. For example, if two people disagree about ten aspects of a transaction, but one of the two people is correct about all ten aspects and the other is simply lying for his or her own gain, it would be unjust to conclude that each person must be right about five of the ten sources of disagreement, or to simply “split the difference.”

The two major sources of happiness are self-expression and love. And in truth, they are the same things.

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I was a sensitive young man, sometimes confused by social situations and dynamics, trying hard to understand. In the years after college I finally started to see patterns in circumstances that...

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Collin is the third UMBC student in the past nine years to serve as the Student Regent. Will you be next? Apply now to serve as Student Regent for 2012-2013. The application form is here; additional background information about the position and selection process here. The completed application form and essays are due Friday, October 28th at 5:00 P.M., and letters of support due the following Friday, November 4th at 5:00 p.m. Submit application materials in hard copy to my (David Hoffman) mailbox in the Office of Student Life, Commons 336, and also email the application form and essays to me at dhoffman@umbc.edu. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions.

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UMBC junior Collin Wojciechowski is many things: a student, a writer, an active participant in Maryland politics. But when he travels to any other campus in the University System of Maryland...

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I’m asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.

Name: Craig Berger

Hometown: Salem, Ohio

Q: How long have you been at UMBC?

A: This is my first semester at UMBC.

Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?

A: Coordinator of Campus and Civic Engagement

Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?

A: I encourage students to learn through identifying and solving common problems collaboratively.

Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?

A: I enjoy listening to each student's story and observing students discover their power and agency.

Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?

A: While I have not been at UMBC for too long yet, the most important thing I learned in college is that learning requires risk-taking; we have to be willing to put our comfort on the line in order to receive a pay-off that might not be guaranteed. It's a scary proposition, but it's necessary.

Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"

A: blogging!

Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?

A: While shopping at the grocery store my first weekend in Baltimore, I discovered that some distant relative of mine makes amazing cookies ("Berger" cookies?) -- I picked some up on that trip, and now I'm addicted!

BONUS VIDEO QUESTION: What else would you like to share? Ask yourself a question and answer it.

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I’m asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are...

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Where I'm from, there are no snow days, no autumn bonfires lost to wind and showers. The sun rises over land and sets over water, and palm trees line the boulevards. Where I'm from, the interstate highways are never called "I-this" or "I-that," but always "the 405" or "the 5." When locals share where they're from they never mention counties or high schools, only cities and communities. There is no unifying regional cuisine, no equivalent to the Maryland crab or Old Bay seasoning, although restaurants everywhere else try to evoke the place with avocado and sprouts.

Where I'm from is the backdrop for movies and television: My high school and college appear as their generic equivalents in countless films and shows. The most famous local landmarks are known more for their appearances on the silver screen than for their history in the actual world.

Where I'm from, the locals can seem sunny but insincere. They can attend too much to appearances; they mock the unfashionable and unkempt. Their superficiality alienates many poetic young souls, and spawns subcultures at the margins: of yearning for independence, of depth.

Where I'm from shines through me every day without my conscious thought or intention. Whether I embody its folkways or epitomize resistance to them, the me that emerges is defined in large part by that faraway place.

Where I'm from is where I'm headed for a little while: the San Fernando Valley, and the City of Angels.

Where are you from?

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Very soon I'll be traveling to my hometown. I haven't been back in more than six years. I'll see my family, and one or two old friends who still live within a few hours' drive, and I'll take...

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We are increasing our professional development offerings so that we can assist with preparing you for careers both within and outside of academe. As part of our “PROF-it: Professors-in-Training”...

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Name: Mickey Arora

Hometown: MoCo, MD

Q: How long have you been at UMBC?

A: 3 years

Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?

A: Health Education Coordinator at UHS.

Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?

A: I help to promote health & wellness across the UMBC campus.

Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?

A: Interacting with different students at programs and events. Also, supervising the Peer Health Educators - they are some of the best students I have ever known and keep me motivated at work.

Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?

A: The biggest thing I remember about my undergrad career was how involved I was. I was involved with over four different student orgs, was a Peer Educator, and also interned on campus... and I loved it! I would never have been able to meet the people I met, or know the things I know now without those experiences. I hope that all college students get the chance to become involved on their campuses, no matter how big or small; and at UMBC, I've learned that the possibilities for students, staff and faculty to get involved are endless!

Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"

A: frozen yogurt! :)

Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?

A: My mom always told me I should try to date someone "on my level" like at work or school, and I constantly told her I would NEVER be able to meet anyone like that at work... but after two years of knowing each other, I started dating another staff member at UMBC and it's been great! Moms apparently always know best. :)

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I’m asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are...

http://cocreateumbc.blogspot.com/2011/10/real-people-profiles-mickey-arora.html https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/9406/guest@my.umbc.edu/b33e92b36f617aad5f88b5d4efbefbb6/api/pixel real-people-profiles Co-Create UMBC https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/co-create https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/original.jpg?1499890363 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/large.png?1499890363 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/medium.png?1499890363 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/small.png?1499890363 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxsmall.png?1499890363 Co-Create UMBC 52 9 true Tue, 11 Oct 2011 09:31:00 -0400 Nicknames The first of them all was 'Little Hoffy.' I was 7 years old, and had been placed in a class full of older kids: 3rd and 4th graders, most of whom seemed world-wise and, relative to me, disturbingly large. After a playground game in which the bigger boys ganged up on me, the 4th grade girls decided to offer me some protection. I became their Little Hoffy (a play on my last name), tiny and adoring; they became my muscle. Being called Little Hoffy made me feel safe and wanted. But it was also a role I was playing: a little bit me and a little bit pretend. And of course it was socially limiting: I could never be an equal with the other boys or girls with a nickname like that.

My next nickname was given to me in 5th grade by the class bully. He handed out all the nicknames. I was new to the school and came across (at least to him) as kind of a brain, so he called me 'Poindexter,' after the glasses-wearing child scientist from the cartoon series Felix the Cat. I was grateful for this. I liked being considered smart, and a lot of his other nicknames were far less flattering: Cow, for example, or 'Where's My Shoe?' I was proud when a new student joined the class mid-year and, after we started hanging out together, he was given the nickname Poindexter II. But 'Poindexter' was like Little Hoffy: sort of affectionate yet also distancing. I wanted badly to be accepted by my peers, and the name Poindexter was more of an invitation to fulfill a 'nerdy kid' stereotype.*

There were other nicknames over the years, each implying its own combination of acceptance and distance, real and pretend. In high school I was 'Larry,' one of The Three Stooges (my two best friends were Moe and Curly). For a while in college I was Casper, as in The Friendly Ghost, a nickname I earned by being the rare white guy to participate in SGA election campaigns for certain students of color. I remember being surprised when my friend (and SGA President) Dean Florez told his supporters to stop calling me that because he believed it unfairly pigeonholed me. "David is a friend, and a member of our team," he said. "He's not just a Casper."

For a long time after college, the occasional nickname would be thrown my way, but I rarely took the bait. I was becoming more comfortable just being me, and didn't feel so much need to play a character in order to maintain the pseudo-acceptance of my peers.

In recent years, though, another name has emerged: some SGA members and other students call me 'D-Hoff.' The thing I like about D-Hoff is that it does not seem to encompass a subtle put-down. It names neither a character nor a version of me that is not the whole. D-Hoff strikes me as more a statement of affiliation, embracing my preference for being addressed informally: no 'Mr. Hoffman' for me, thank you very much. It's a nickname I feel no need to outgrow. At last.

How about you: Any nickname stories you'd like to share?

*Incidentally, Poindexter II (my friend John) wrote the movie Anonymous, about the authorship of Shakespeare's plays, which you'll probably see advertised quite a bit in the next few weeks.

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The first of them all was 'Little Hoffy.' I was 7 years old, and had been placed in a class full of older kids: 3rd and 4th graders, most of whom seemed world-wise and, relative to me,...

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Name: Joshua Day

Hometown: Bethesda, MD

Q: How long have you been at UMBC?

A: 2 years

Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?

A: Finance Board Member, Student Government Association; Advertising Committee Member, Relay For Life; Fundraising Chair and Brother, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated; Representative, Student-Athlete Advisory Council (Cross Country, Track & Field)

Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?

A: a unifying factor among different groups on campus

Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?

A: meeting new people and simply talking with them because communication is one of the greatest joys (not to sound corny lol)

Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?

A: College and everything it encompasses is a business and they will rob you of your money if you don't speak up and take matters in your own hand

Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"

A: people who never give up

Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?

A: Back in the day we used to have 2 gyms...and we had parties that were like that on campus lol...attracting people from different colleges/universities. Also no matter how long you've been here you can always find something new if you go exploring.

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I’m asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are...

http://cocreateumbc.blogspot.com/2011/10/real-people-profiles-joshua-day.html https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/9270/guest@my.umbc.edu/558250d508b17abd6352bb35cb944225/api/pixel real-people-profiles Co-Create UMBC https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/co-create https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/original.jpg?1499890363 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/large.png?1499890363 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/medium.png?1499890363 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/small.png?1499890363 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxsmall.png?1499890363 Co-Create UMBC 26 4 true Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:01:00 -0400 Real People Profiles: Lindsey Mitchell

Name: Lindsey Mitchell

Hometown: Harrisonburg, VA

Q: How long have you been at UMBC?

A: Since July 2011

Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?

A: Coordinator of Student Events

Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?

A: I advise the Student Events Board to help provide quality campus programming

Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?

A: So far I've met such an amazing group of students and staff members who have blown me away with their creativity, passion and innovation. It's been an inspiring place to work!

Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?

A: When I first went to college I wasn't involved at all and really didn't enjoy my college experience the first two years. I ended up transferring to another school and got a job on campus my first week there; it completely changed my perspective on what college should be. If I were to share the single most important thing that I learned from college.. it's to get involved! Your four (or five or six...) years in college can be an amazing time in your life if you intentionally complement your academic experience with other extracurricular outlets.

Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"

A: Road trips :)

Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?

A: I'd have to say my favorite moment so far at UMBC was when I walked into my new office and there was a huge welcome banner that the SEB students made on my first day of work. What a great way to feel welcomed! I'm looking forward to meeting many of you around campus and seeing the amazing programs that SEB will put on this year.

BONUS VIDEO QUESTION: What else would you like to share? Ask yourself a question and answer it.

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I’m asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are...

http://cocreateumbc.blogspot.com/2011/10/real-people-profiles-lindsey-mitchell.html https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/9222/guest@my.umbc.edu/63a367e2950a9ff5de472df9534ab3cd/api/pixel real-people-profiles Co-Create UMBC https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/co-create https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/original.jpg?1499890363 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xlarge.png?1499890363 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/large.png?1499890363 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/medium.png?1499890363 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/small.png?1499890363 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xsmall.png?1499890363 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/002/5b8f025dafb56cb8d3088b7259aadcfb/xxsmall.png?1499890363 Co-Create UMBC 31 6 true Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:33:00 -0400 Odd Jobs The summer after my freshman year in college, I worked at the local mall in a shop called The Laminators. It was basically a framing shop, but instead of putting people's diplomas and photos into frames, The Laminators turned them into plaques--at least, when it didn't accidentally shred or burn them. The shop was too small to house the actual lamination works; I never saw the factory. It was basically just a counter and a small display room, from which we sold posters and prints that already had been plaque-ified. We didn't do a lot of business, and I almost always worked alone.

In order to earn my minimum wage, I accepted customers' orders, worked the register, and struggled to answer their questions about the posters for sale, most depicting very expensive cars or military hardware. But my most memorable customer didn't buy a thing; he showed up with something to return--a damaged plaque The Laminators clearly hadn't sold him (it was the wrong color and lacked the signature beveled edge). He was a big guy in a muscle shirt, and he seemed to sense that I was alone and not very self-confident. Our interaction went something like this:

Customer: You guys sold me this piece of crap and I didn't notice it was already damaged until I unwrapped it at home. I'd like a full refund.

Me: I'm sorry. I think you might be mistaken. We don't make plaques like this one. Could you have purchased this from a different store?

Customer: You don't think I know where I bought this? Look, I'm in a hurry. This cost me $110, and I'd like it back. Now.

Me: I'm sorry, sir. We don't issue refunds once our products leave the store. We never wrap them before the customer sees and accepts them. And like I said, I don't think we made this plaque. Do you have a receipt? If you like, I can get in touch with the manager . . .

Customer: What?? No, you little @$%!#. Don't play games with me! Don't call your manager! Can't you think for yourself? I am a customer and I'm showing you that you sold me damaged goods. I want my f%$@# $110. Now!

Me: Well, I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not authorized to give it to you. Please, just let me put you on the phone with the manager. He can explain . . .

Customer: You f%$@#! Stop being such a p%&*!@! Look, if you can't use your tiny little brain to process a $%@#! simple refund, I can f%$@#! do it for you! Now open that f%$@# register and give me my g@!d@%$# $110! NOW!

Me: F%$@# you, sir!

For ten seconds, we stared silently at each other, me paralyzed with fear: not that the man was going to take my head off (a distinct possibility, but I could live with that) but that I was going to be fired for cursing at a customer. Then the man turned around and stormed away. Two minutes later I had my manager on the phone, and he absolved me of blame. He was just glad I hadn't given the refund.

So what "interesting" jobs have you had? Any good stories?

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The summer after my freshman year in college, I worked at the local mall in a shop called The Laminators. It was basically a framing shop, but instead of putting people's diplomas and photos into...

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