The cyber-world presents a ripe environment for misunderstanding. Inflection, tone, body language and the like are conspicuously absent from conversations sailing back and forth across invisible paths. Add in my tendency to assume (Oh! The Assuming!) and you've guessed it, a recipe for hilarity.
Hesitant to post what will surely become known as 'The Notariani's Debacle Of 'Aught Twelve', I consulted my humor loving family. (They ever enjoy a laugh at my expense - it's the way of my family; I reciprocate when I can.) All agreed, 'You've got to laugh about it! Don't be a sensitive ninny.' So...here goes.
I've developed an acquaintance/friendship with a fellow blogger/writer over the last few months. We comment back and forth, read what's new and interesting on one another's blogs, email once in a blue moon. I'm an extrovert, and enjoy talking/writing/communicating - so much so that I'd talk the ears off my
1) Same name = same person
2) The acquaintance had taken on the comfortable status of friendship where humor reigns supreme.
3) The new addition to those I count as friend had decided to inject aforementioned supremely reigning humor via a cheeky email.
4) Hilarity would ensue after my equally cheeky reply.
Cringing commenced the next morning. In the end, same name most definitely does NOT = same person. Please write that down. Ha! In fact, it turns out that the email happened to come from an entirely separate entity (who just happens to share the same name as fellow writer/blogger/acquaintance/friend)!! When I received the reply to my cheeky reply - well - I nearly laid an egg, fairly certain of my gross misunderstanding. I immediately forwarded the three emails to blogger/writer with a boldly typed request, 'If this is not you, please email me immediately.' Clarification was given, and mortification followed.
So... Did I learn my lesson? For today. My sense of humor overrides all good sense at times, and I make no promises that it will never happen again. I learned long ago not to promise what I cannot hope to fulfill. I've had to dig my foot from my throat in the past, and remain quite confident this shall not be my last painful extraction. Ha!
After I managed to patch up my sorely abused dignity, I had to admit, the whole incident was quite funny. It's like something out of a Seinfeld episode. For now...there are two people of the same name - most likely wondering and shaking their heads. Writer/blogger/acquaintance/friend has been exposed - prematurely and confusingly - to my absolute slavery to gaining a laugh, and person-of-the-same-name likely thinks me a lunatic. Ha!
...But I've no worries :} Here at the Notariani household...we laughed and laughed....
~ Nadja
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ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure you aren't the first person to experience this and not the last one either. It nice to hear that you can be so candid about this situation. Don't worry humor fixes everything.
ReplyDeleteAgree! Ha! Luckily, I was raised in a home where laughing at yourself was encouraged, and quite frankly, necessary. Having eight siblings requires one to grow 'thick skin' - as well as to develop fun-poking-skills. Glad to see you, Jeremy! Hope all is going well with your few month old release!
DeleteWow. What are the chances?
ReplyDeleteI've got to admit with all the spam, I've become overly suspicious when I get mail with friends' names. If I suspect spam, I delete them without hesitation.
That only bit me in the butt once. I had deleted what I thought was spam because although it had my friend's name, it used a different email address and there were lots of typos. It turned out she was typing from her phone. Oy.
Yeah...after the reply, I looked and noticed that the email came from a different account than friend/blogger, which prompted me to forward and ...well, the rest is history. Ha! I will soooo check that first from now on. :}
DeleteI'm leery to type emails on my phone for exactly that reason...I can't seem to hit the right keys on my touch screen and end up writing incoherent messages.
What a coincidence, something similar happened to me reciently...
ReplyDeleteNadja you are fricking funny :-)
And I would be honered to consider you a friend, anf maybe meet my doppelganger and write a colaberation with him..."just the two of me we, we can make it if we try"
Haha
Wander
You don't say? Interesting...;}
DeleteAhem. Well, now that my ridiculous sense of humor has been exposed, I can at least know that you found the whole episode as laughter inducing as I do.
Incidentally, I directed the individual to contact his same-named-counterpart, as another email asked about interviewee's location.
Lol!
DeleteI'm not laughing at you—really I'm not—but I needed that today.
ReplyDeleteGlad to be of service, Joshua! Anytime...I can usually scrounge up something for great comedic fodder. :}
DeleteHumor is like an ***-hole, everyone has one. Sounds like a comedically nefarious family if you ax me. Shtuff just happens, all you can do is just laugh it off, along with all parties involved- not valid in Washington DC.
ReplyDeleteBoy did we laugh. I shared the story with my sister yesterday afternoon, and she roared with laughter. I have to share with my humor loving brother in the very near future. He'll no doubt enjoy this tale. As a matter of fact, I think I could use this type of situation (with some adjustments of course) in a novel...lol. And...just may. :}
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