7-11 clerk mad that nobody notices his brilliance

[cute fuzzy bunny]

http://toledotales.blogspot.com/2006...at-no-one.html

I'll save you the click...

(Toledo, OH) Kevin Garrity has been working at 7-Eleven for nearly 4 months. In that time he has, in his words, "far surpassed the usual expectations of incompetence" that go along with such entry-level work.

Garrity says that, despite his "obvious genius," he gets no respect from customers, his coworkers, or even his employer.

"I am 16 credits and a dissertation away from my PhD in early modern German Philosophy, yet you'd think I was just another lackey around here," he mused. "It is clear that the citizens of the world wouldn't know brilliance if it bit them on the proverbial ass."

Garrity said that his attempts "to bring an ounce of culture" to the 7-Eleven store in which he works have been fruitless.

"Whenever I change the radio station to jazz or classical music these illiterate Philistines act like I am performing surgery on them without anesthesia," he said, sipping a cup of cappucino. "When I suggested that we employees might start a book club on Thursday nights, not a single one of these simpletons signed up."

The unappreciated convenience clerk said that he was most surprised at the seeming lack of intelligent customers who might enjoy his acerbic wit or wealth of knowledge.

"You would think that - statistically speaking - the odds are favorable that a thoughtful customer would eventually pass through these doors," said Garrity. "The fact remains that every person with whom I have tried to discuss Kant's transcendental idealism and his moral philosophy on the autonomy of reason has given me the same stupid blank stare."

Garrity, who has held "five or six" similar positions in the last two years, said that he will continue to persevere in his efforts to bring enlightenment and heady discourse to 7-Eleven. The manager of the store, however, expressed a different view to Toledo Tales reporters.

"I have never met such a pompous ass as Kevin, and we get a lot of oddballs working here," said Ed Mikolajczyk. "If he wasn't the only body I have to throw in the place on midnights I would have shitcanned him weeks ago. All I ask is that he stocks the place before he leaves, and he gives me this "morality is rooted in human freedom and acting autonomously is to act according to rational moral principles" bullshit. Say, pal - interested in a second job?"

[Brat]

I once worked with a guy like that, insisted that we use the title "Doctor". Shaving was hit and miss, too cheap to buy a paper so rummaged through trash bins. Likely borderline mentally ill, well over the line of personality disorder. Muttered about pogrums. Harmless. He wrote excellant reports. After I left the office I heard he was 'encouraged' to retire, I suspect someone put together a disability retirement package and everyone up the line signed off with a 'Thank God we sold him on this!".

You know, I think it would be interesting to have a chat with a dude like that! 8)

I used to work with a guy that was Valdictorian of his Large High school class. He always had a different perspective of any problem we were working on. It wasn't always productive or relevant, but it was usually interesting.

[wabmester]

I read TH's blurb, and I'm thinking "that sounds like a bad piece from The Onion."* * So, I took a look at the site:

Biting satire and wicked parody from the middle of the Rust Belt

Fiction.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cut-Throat You know, I think it would be interesting to have a chat with a dude like that! 8)

Interesting, but not to work with.

The third-most difficult guy I ever worked with was a PhD candidate. He was a very very senior E-6 who never seemed to get those promotion recommendations, and I found out that it was because he had zero leadership capability.

I'm not saying that his leadership style was CAPT Queeg or the Great Santini. He just absolutely lacked any appreciation for whatever point of view might be held by another human being, including his spouse. He was quite happy to go with whatever he agreed was the most logical or expedient approach, no matter who suggested it-- but compromise was not in his vocabulary, nor was teambuilding.

Best instructor we ever had, though. No matter how many times a student asked the same question, he'd patiently cycle through a dozen different explanations until he succeeded. (Or perhaps the students quit asking, but they never complained.) For some reason his brain could accept that a student wouldn't "get it" on his first explanation, but he could never seem to extend that thinking to the rest of the people in his world.

[Cool Dood]

Some days I feel a bit like that.......

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cute Fuzzy Bunny http://toledotales.blogspot.com/2006...at-no-one.html Garrity says that, despite his "obvious genius," he gets no respect from customers, his coworkers, or even his employer.

Reminds me of a guy I knew at college and kept in touch with for some time afterwards.* High IQ, Mensa, etc., etc.* A tremendously bloated ego and exaggerated feelings of self-worth took him away from us during the decade after graduation.* Anti-depression meds have reeled him in somewhat, but it's a real shame.

I hope the young man in the story is able to receive the help he needs.* * *

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wab I read TH's blurb, and I'm thinking "that sounds like a bad piece from The Onion." So, I took a look at the site: Biting satire and wicked parody from the middle of the Rust Belt Fiction.

I'm sorry, whats your point again?

[maddythebeagle]

Quote:

I read TH's blurb, and I'm thinking "that sounds like a bad piece from The Onion."

I was thinking the same thing. * Sounds very "Oniony".

[lazygood4nothinbum]

not only is there a time and a place, but sometimes what might seem inappropriate can later become quite the asset.

in some other much earlier life, i was a bit of a perfectionist. during therapy, the counselor asked me to describe aspects of myself rating them 1-10. i'd answer 7.875 or 6.375 because it wasn't quite 6 and a quarter and it wasn't quite 6 and a half.

long since in my new lazier life, my answer has become about 6 to 8ish. but at least, during my life as a perfectionist, i'd developed an eye for detale.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maddy the Turbo Beagle I was thinking the same thing. Sounds very "Oniony".

Sure you werent thinking "I read the article on Fark, and all the commentary where people compared it to an article on The Onion?"

[Martha]

There is a guy working at our local Walgreens who is kinda like this. Yesterday I stopped to buy some pop and I had to listen to him go on and on trying to be witty and bragging about his education and complaining about "the man." I asked him what he had he degree in and he said he had a masters in film making (is that a degree?). I asked him why the heck was he in Duluth, Minnesota, where there is no opportunties for a film maker. He said California is too hot.

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha * He said California is too hot.

We pass through Duluth several times a year heading north towards the Gunflint Trail or northwest (going over the famous "Bong" bridge) towards Big Winnie and beyond.* DW has noted that's it's always raining, always overcast in Duluth.* Perhaps the young man wants to make serious, dark cloud films and not that frivilious, sunshiney stuff!



* *

[KB]

I worked with a woman who was too smart for her own good.

She was wonderful when designing new functions of a computer system, but greatly lacking in normal life skills. She woud be leading worksessions, fall down while talking and just get back up and never stop talking. Very strange woman. You never quite knew what to expect from her.

Very accident prone: did stuff like mow over her foot while mowing her lawn, knock glassware off peoples desks and file cabinets, get her foot stuck in the spokes of her bike. Always interesting to be around.....but you ducked a lot too...

Sadly, she has terminal cancer and is still working full time from home, unable to go into the office any longer. She's early 50s now.

[laurence]

I'm lucky to some how be able to talk with guys like this ( I think because my brother is one). Yesterday my spa stopped working, so I went to the place where I bought it for help. The sales guy rushed up and I said in a panic, "I ALREADY HAVE ONE! CALL THE DOGS OFF! I JUST NEED TECHNICAL HELP!" so he pointed me to the back counter. The man behind the counter was the real life version of the comic book guy on "The Simpsons". I explained the problem and what I did so far - "Bad sensor, call this number to replace, BEGONE!" So I chatted him up a little bit, and eventually, he busted out a copy of his custom built manual for troubleshooting for me to keep, gave me a ton of tips, interspersed with commentary on the resurgence of sci-fi shows, and his first idea fixed my problem lickety split when I got home. Our conversation ended when his cell phone began playing Guns and Roses, "Sweet Child O' Mine" and he had to take the call.

This guy was a riot, brilliant, but a riot, and working way below his potential. :P

[OldAgePensioner]

On Thursday, a medical technician came into my room and I almost fainted. He was talking like Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man and kinda twitchy and he wanted to take a blood sample for enzyme evaluation.

He was thumping around on my wrists and forearm and kinda making uncontrolled facial motions. Next thing I know, he sticks a needle in my vein and gets a sample.

I swear I never felt it. He was an expert in his trade. But quirky as hell.

[justin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldAgePensioner On Thursday, a medical technician came into my room and I almost fainted. He was talking like Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man and kinda twitchy and he wanted to take a blood sample for enzyme evaluation. He was thumping around on my wrists and forearm and kinda making uncontrolled facial motions. Next thing I know, he sticks a needle in my vein and gets a sample. I swear I never felt it. He was an expert in his trade. But quirky as hell.

He was probably a vampire looking for a quick fix. Enzyme evaluation... whatever...

[Jay_Gatsby]

Actually, I find the quirky, brilliant types to be very refreshing. While they may lack normal social skills, their intellectual horsepower is a welcome change from the dullards I encounter in everyday life. It's amazing we've survived as a species when you consider what passes for average intelligence these days. Perhaps intelligence isn't the issue...laziness and lack of discipline seem to be in pretty short supply too... :

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay_Gatsby ...laziness and lack of discipline seem to be in pretty short supply too... :

Not once you are retired, at least according to DW.

[Jay_Gatsby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo! Not once you are retired, at least according to DW.

Oops, I meant that laziness and lack of discipline are NOT in short supply.