AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books,
"meet" the authors and enter to win.
Dear Reader,
I was in the middle of an important business telephone conversation and I knew that it was going to get out of control soon. I tried to "think" it away, but that wasn't working. "Tickle, tickle, cough, cough." I covered the microphone on my headset and grabbed the water bottle on my desk. But I was losing the battle and I knew I would soon be a goner.
The executive on the other end of the line was finishing up his sentence and he was going to expect me to respond. But I was afraid if I said anything, I'd start coughing and I wouldn't be able to stop.
In my mind, I was coaching myself, 'Okay, maybe if I speak softly and quickly, I can get a sentence out before I lose control...Whew, it worked. Yes, I'm safe.'
As the executive was continuing with another idea, I was praying, 'Please, oh please, wrap up your conversation.'
But nope, he pressed on telling me about yesterday's meeting and finally I couldn't hold it in any longer. Cough, COUGH, COUGH. Quickly, I hit the mute button on my headset--thank heavens for mute buttons--because I could still hear him, but he couldn't hear me coughing and sputtering on my end of the phone.
Cough, hack, hack, cough. I was expelling air with hurricane gusts at about 150 miles per hour. This mute feature was a life saver. How could this guy not hear me? I was dying here. As soon as I finish this coughing jag, I really need to write a thank you letter to the company that makes this headset. Why, this could be an entirely new product feature for them to list in their ads and product brochures. I can see it now: "Tickle in your throat? Our Muted-Cough feature to the rescue. Cough up a lung while you're making a sale and your customer will never be the wiser." Well, they may need to work on that slogan a tiny bit.
Finally--things have quieted down. I think I'm all better now and just in time.
"Well, what do you think Suzanne?"
"I think your idea sounds great Bill. Believe me, I couldn't have said it better."
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
Comments