Well, I remember that when I was in my 20s and on the first day of a job in the registration office for a day camp, a woman came into the office, claimed that the “first day” package of materials that the camp had mailed out before I started working there didn’t contain badges for her kids, and asked for badges. Apparently something in the materials mentioned that the kids should be wearing these badges on the first day of camp, so she was worried.

Now, I was a kid who had been working there all of one hour, but my boss had stepped out of the office so I was on my own. I had never seen one of these packages or badges, so I had no idea how to assist the woman. I told her that my boss should be back shortly. She agreed to wait.

My boss dialed my extension from another place in the building and asked how things were going, so I asked her what to do. She said that the camp office was out of badges and suggested that the woman just make them. We ended the call and I relayed the suggestion to the woman.

Wrong suggestion. “The manual says they need badges. I am not going to make them.”

Ok, but I couldn’t make them either. I had no materials and no idea what they were even supposed to look like.

“Not my problem.”

My boss finally came back and she spoke to the woman. The woman made a tremendous fuss about there being no badges for her kids. Finally, she stormed off in a huff.

My boss and I looked at each other, shrugged and went back to work.

I guess the kids didn’t need them stinkin’ badges.