Posted by
NOTLEGALROADKILLYET on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 9:46:06 AM
One of my biggest concerns in writing this blog is that I might be mistaken for a Beauprez campaign insider, and that I am somehow authorized to speak for the campaign.
I want to tell a funny story on myself as a means of dispelling that notion.
A week ago Monday, I was in the headquarters making a phone call from the phone bank area, which is separate from the staff area. The phone system is a bit quirky, and if one is not careful, a person making an outgoing call can inadvertently answer a call before the phone rings. It had happened to me before, and I had learned how to put a call on hold, but not how to transfer a call.
I picked up the phone to make a call and knew immediately that I had an incoming call, so I said "Beauprez for Governor." I should have identified myself, but I didn't. After a moment's pause, a gentlemanly voice said "This is Bob, may I speak to John." Well, there is only one Bob and one John in the campaign, so I put Bob on hold and went looking for John.
The problem I had was that after working two and a half months in the campaign, I hadn't bothered to learn who John was, or even where his office was. (I know that sounds dumb, but my philosophy about volunteering is that volunteers have very little reason to interact with the staff outside those whose job it is to put them to work, and that is how I have operated.)
I solved the problem the obvious way. I saw a small gaggle of staffers and said "Bob is on the phone and he wants to speak to John. Can someone point me at John." It turned out that John Marshall was in the gaggle, and someone took a moment to introduce me to him before he went to answer Bob's call. I was embarrassed.
If you are reading this blog and mistake ANYTHING in it as my speaking for the campaign, consider this tale. It is unfortunately, true.