In Another Life, I Had Tact
I never thought an entire day could be ruined with a badly worded sentence but boy, oh, boy did I prove myself wrong today.
I was having a very pleasant conversation with a part-time instructor at the community college where I work when I made an enormously asinine comment. The instructor was inquiring about my degree in English and whether I was interested in teaching as a profession. Instead of telling her about my interest in publishing and editing or any number of decent responses, I replied with, “Well, if I decide to teach I’d rather study for my Master’s so I can teach at upper levels of education.â€
As soon as the words had left my mouth, I realized how astronomically asshole-ish it sounded. Had I just implied that the “upper levels of education†excluded community colleges and therefore rendered her occupation (and intelligence) on a lower scale of significance? Am I a total idiot? Specifically, the “upper levels of education†excluded grade school and wasn’t meant as a description of superiority on any scale. But how could I possibly clarify myself without looking like an even bigger twat?
If she was offended she didn’t show it and I was grateful for that. I’m sure in an alternate reality she probably would have asked me to shove my degree in the upper levels of my anal cavity.
January 15th, 2006 at 7:53 pm
heyy this is a nice site. i will be startin school too soon.. to get my masters but its going to be nursing.. well good luck
January 16th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
That didn’t sound offensive to me lol well i dunno lol.
medicine for me[plastic surgeon]
January 16th, 2006 at 7:23 pm
When i read it, it seems like you did mean the upper levels of education such as high scool or college. Im sure she didn’t take it that way, and you have nothing to worry about. but i do hate myself when I say things that weren’t supposed to be offensive but they sound like it.
*hugs* its ok! my brother is going to college for the same thing you are.. odd…