Afraid of Me, but not Myself

Why are people afraid of me?

I mean "me," not me.

Nobody wants to sound uneducated. There must be something about the word "me" that strikes people as grammatically incorrect. "The meeting on Tuesday is just between Sheryl and myself."

Not true. It's "Sheryl and ME." Not...you know, *me* me. You get the point.

The intern's goodbye email made the rounds. "You were all such lovely co-workers to myself." There it was in writing, from the pen of a college graduate.

(Granted, it was a u$c graduate. Still. It bugged me. It did not bug myself.)

Why do people not understand the reflexive? You don't say to someone, "Call Bill or myself." You can only perform an action TO yourself as the object. I fed myself. I dressed myself. I dialed the wrong number and accidentally called myself. I flung myself off a cliff. You can fling yourself off a cliff, and I can fling myself off a cliff, but you can't tell me to fling yourself off a cliff. I can only fling MYself, and you can fling YOURself.

At the meeting, the cliff-flinging will be discussed by you and me. If you don't show up for the meeting, I will vindicate myself by flinging you off a cliff.

And do NOT tell me that before I fling you off that cliff, you'd like a photo of "you and I."

Middle Stall

The women's restroom at work is down the hall from my office suite. All the offices on this floor share the restroom. There are only three stalls, but that's fine, because the aren't too many people on this floor. It's rare to see more than one other person in there at one time, but today there were three of us with business to do at the same time.

While it was clear when we all entered the restroom that none of us knew each other, I did recognize one of the women as the Crazy Lady Who's Obsessed with Dogs. She's an odd one, this woman. Whenever I have a puppy-in-training at the office with me, I actively look to avoid her in the lobby and hallways and restroom because I don't want to get into a twenty-minute conversation with her. Once, she came into my workplace and asked to see me, just to visit the dog. So focused is she on the dog that she doesn't recognize me when I'm without one.

Crazy Lady always uses the handicap stall in the bathroom. Always. Even if there's someone in there and the other two stalls are empty. She waits by the wall until it's free, and will freely mention that that's what she's doing. She is not -- by any physical indication anyway -- handicapped.

So I was in the middle stall, Normal Lady was in the stall to my left, and Crazy Lady in the handicap stall to my right. Normal Lady emitted a slight gas-passing sound, as one is wont to do while sitting on the toilet. And Crazy Lady said, at full volume:

"My sentiments exactly."

Wow.

One Man Makes a Difference in Haiti

Jake Wood, known in the milblogosphere as "Badger Jake," is a former U.S. Marine who has been in Haiti for several days, setting up triage centers and bringing much-needed aid to earthquake victims there. The team he put together is comprised of other Marines, first responders, and two doctors (who volunteered to join him even as he was on board a plane on his way to the Dominican Republic to cross over into Haiti).

Jake's small but capable team is accomplishing things that larger organizations cannot. They are swift and strong, unfettered by bureaucracy, and doing incredible work. Follow Jake via his blog or on Twitter @TeamRubicon.

And if you have a few dollars to spare for the relief effort, in conjunction with other orgs you may be supporting, please consider a donation to help him bring down his second relief team (more doctors and supplies). You can donate right here.