Monday, April 20, 2009

Jerk

That would be me. Gah. I insulted someone without realizing, and now that I realize it, I don't quite know how to bring it up to apologize. I think I need to straight up apologize.

***

And then I had a student come in to office hours who smells strongly of tobacco. I didn't say anything (because despite tenure, I retain vestigal social skills).

Then in class, the lit mentioned something about cigarettes in a rather negative way.

And I couldn't help wondering if the tobacco student felt pointed out in a negative way.

I didn't choose the lit with that in mind (the cigarette thing is one line among many, noticable), and I don't tend to think about how tobacco users smell when I'm writing up a syllabus. And maybe other people don't notice tobacco smell as much as I do. (And then, of course, more than one student in the class smokes. I just noticed the one because of sharing a small space.)

(I really wish students wouldn't smoke, not only for their health, but mostly, utterly selfishly, because talking up close to a smoker tends to make me nauseated.)

2 comments:

  1. I'd have to know more specifics here, but surely you're not responsible when the text says something negative about smoking?

    I don't take it personally when the text goes after demon rum.

    If that's what we're on about, I mean.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aww. I don't think you're a jerk at all, either about the smoking or the other thing (impulse to apologize proves it!). Blech, smoke. I used to work in an office with a ton-a-day smoker. He always went outside to smoke, but using the *telephone* after him was just awwwful.

    ReplyDelete