I am an independent contractor sort which means I am in an environment full of others of the same ilk. It's hard to get fired because it just costs the company. It also makes it doubly hard to remain tactful. I guess that is second nature  to those who are "employed". And I haven't really been working on that enough the last five or so decades to become proficient.

So simple enough office task. Scan some documents, send them to e-mail. Forward them to a client for review. Call him tonight and talk it over. Not so bad when it works.

Today it doesn't work so I ask the boss " Have you heard if anyone else is having trouble with the scanner getting the docs to e-mail?"

She pauses, thinking I guess about who else has mentioned it it like that was the gist of the question. I guess she could have either said yes or no and would have completed the questionaire. But with an air of concern she said "Huh?"

I altered the question, slowing down a little because that what tactful people do, saying softly, " I scanned these two documents to my e-mail. They did not arrive on my e-mail. Who would I call to get this fixed?"

"Have you tried asking Alice the office coordinator?" she implored.

In my head I'm already screaming " Are you nuts or what?!?!? Alice doesn't work here that much anymore! Remember you decided to cut her down to half-time? And we're all considered idiots so I have to ask you !! I can't just call IT and get something fixed.There's a form for that I'm not allowed to touch. Alice is out looking for a nice room in a boarding house to down-size to after you cut her pay in half so she can't afford that swanky little studio apartment next to the freeway off-ramp. The one over the Quickie Mart she so loved to buy her corn dog and cheese nacho dinner at when she was dripping in dough!!"

But I am tactful so once again sotto voce I said "Alice isn't here right now so I scanned these two documents to my e-mail. They did not arrive on my e-mail. Who would I call to get this fixed?" And adding for emphasis the all important " The client is waiting to receive them and sign.We're on deadline."

This was getting to be sort of like a Hokey-Pokey dance lesson. Fun but not too productive. So she says, " You mean these forms?" pointing at the forms in my hand.

"Yes" I smile.

"We keep them in the file in the back if you need more", she informs me.

 I am beginning to lose it. I can tell . There isn't much time left. Not to get the forms to the client. I made that up. The deadline and fictional important client because I thought it would help. There's not much time left before I become Untactful Man. Last call. I'll see if this works. I knew to not complicate it.

So I said a bit more firmly," I scanned these two documents to my e-mail. They did not arrive on my e-mail. Who would I call to get this fixed?"

She looked very serious now. Good . I broke through her barrier and she is now going to tell me who to call. She says to me " You mean you scanned those two documents to your e-mail and they did not arrive?"

 So I said with all the seriousness I could muster to match her new attentiveness, " How did you know?"

 That's what I mean about not having the tactful thing down entirely. I'm still here though. My first check in two months just arrived. I've been shorted $500. I'll just go ask her what happened.