The “F” word…
(
This is a repeat but I thought it might give you a much needed
chuckle.)
As
some of you know from reading my blog I spent many years as a
secretary in our local emergency room. (The picture shows me ...bottom right ... in 1979
with one of the nurses and Dr. Jacques.) Most of the time I was
fulfilling the orders of the harried staff … ordering labs, xrays,
calls to specialists, etc. Since our ER was often overloaded it was a
challenge to keep ahead of it all and I thrived on it.
I was older than most of the nurses and even many of the doctors; however, this didn’t seem to matter. I was good at what I did and they appreciated that. Over the years I took on kind of a mother figure there. They knew that I was of the generation that finds the “F” word shocking and they rarely used it in my presence. I appreciated their consideration. I was also sure that they would never hear that word from my lips.
The nurses did very well with the ER Docs but as soon as a staff Dr. showed up the atmosphere would change. These doctors were very demanding and expected the nurses to drop everything (no matter what was going on with the other ER patients) and to be at their beck and call. This particular day it was exceptionally busy. All 18 rooms were full, 3 staff doctors had arrived at the same time and none of the ordered lab results had come back. When I called the lab they told me that a technician was out sick and they were doing the best they could.
I was older than most of the nurses and even many of the doctors; however, this didn’t seem to matter. I was good at what I did and they appreciated that. Over the years I took on kind of a mother figure there. They knew that I was of the generation that finds the “F” word shocking and they rarely used it in my presence. I appreciated their consideration. I was also sure that they would never hear that word from my lips.
The nurses did very well with the ER Docs but as soon as a staff Dr. showed up the atmosphere would change. These doctors were very demanding and expected the nurses to drop everything (no matter what was going on with the other ER patients) and to be at their beck and call. This particular day it was exceptionally busy. All 18 rooms were full, 3 staff doctors had arrived at the same time and none of the ordered lab results had come back. When I called the lab they told me that a technician was out sick and they were doing the best they could.
I
relayed this info but the staff doctors wouldn’t accept it. They
had the poor nurses almost in tears and I couldn’t believe the
words that were being yelled at them, the patient charts that were
being banged down and the overall disruption of the ER. Of
course this ultimately came down upon my head, the messenger of the
bad news and I lost it. I knew that none of the patients were
critical and could see no reason for all the turmoil. I was
completely fed up and had as much as I could take so I stood up and
yelled …“Everyone just F_ _king shut up.”
This brought on an absolute dead silence ----------------------------- and it seemed to stay that way forever until a nurse broke the ice by saying, in a timid voice: “Oooh, that’s just as if my mother said that.” That did it. We all broke up laughing, the staff doctors stormed off and we went back to business as usual.
posted by Goldendaze-Ginnie at 1:00 PM
5 Comments:
That was funny. People who drop the F bomb all the time don't realize that it has lost all value. Now someone like you or me who uses it rarely, it carries power with its shock value.
It has really struck me lately that f--- has just become an emphasis word. It almost means "really" but it is stronger. For example, "I am effing tired" means that you are pretty well exhausted. I almost don't think of it as swearing anymore although I don't like to hear it overused for it loses its effectiveness.
Lol. Good for you! I’d have had a great laugh too!
From my friend Jan:
"Don't tell anyone, but you are so right. I, too, have been driven to use that word - maybe once or twice a year when I am driven to the wall, up the wall, and have hit the ceiling of my ability to take anymore. I scare myself when I hear it come out of my mouth. (and I put my $5 in the jar!) Thanks for my first "Oooooooo" for the day!"
Sometimes you just have to say something that really knocks their socks off and that day back then was it for you, Ginnie.
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