Our submitter in Tucson, Arizona was a little perplexed by the sign hanging up in newly-assigned cubicle, but didn’t think much of it. When he finally got around to asking his bosses about it, they somewhat cryptically responded that the last person to work in that cubicle “had a problem with change.”
(It’s unclear who made the decision that a change of job was in order for that particular ex-employee.)
Meanwhile, Bethany in Bakersfield, California still isn’t quite sure what to make of this note, which she found on her desk one morning at work. (“Did someone start to write a message and get distracted two words in?” Or am I living my life in such a way that they simply can’t handle it any longer?”)
related: A little bit of psycho-therapy
55 responses so far ↓
#1
farcical aquatic ceremony
Reminds me of when a former co-worker’s boss was preparing to leave on a business trip, started to write her a note but got distracted two words in — “Feel free” it said. And she did–for the whole week he was gone!
Jul 7, 2011 at 7:47 pm rating: 17
#2
asho
At least the spelling is right
Jul 7, 2011 at 7:49 pm rating: 1
#3
old timer
you kids probably don’t remember the days when you needed to save up fistfuls of quarters to go down to the laundromat.
Jul 7, 2011 at 7:56 pm rating: 20
#4
Mrs.Beasley
Love the Bethany note! Reminds me of a note I found on my own desk at work years ago. It was my boss JP’s handwriting, and it read:
J, do you understand
and nothing more. I didn’t, of course. Understand, that is. So beneath her words I wrote:
JP, no. Signed, J.
And I left it on my boss’s desk. She came to me later laughing like a loon, explaining that she’d started to write the note and then got distracted and didn’t finish, but that my response made her day.
I told her that she’d given me the most Zen note I’ve ever received. It became an instant office legend. I had it framed, and it hung on my office wall for many years afterwards.
Jul 7, 2011 at 7:57 pm rating: 66
#5
Nunavut Guy
Bethany;
Recycling is a noble thing.
Five passes with the same tampon is over kill.
Jul 7, 2011 at 8:31 pm rating: 3
#6
Nunavut Guy
Wow!! So disappointed that Bowie had to get a day job.
Jul 7, 2011 at 8:53 pm rating: 5
#7
Coco
Yeah, I know Bethany, she’s from the Midwest and now lives in Brooklyn. She needs to change; she’s prone to being jealous and petty. Crazy Bitch.
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:27 pm rating: 1
#8
Nick
Perhaps Bethany’s clothes were inappropriate? However, given the punctuation, I agree that the note is unfinished, if not untitled.
Jul 7, 2011 at 10:50 pm rating: 1
#9
Ana
Is it just me or is that stationary a little too bubbly/cheery/colourful for most offices? I mean I don’t think I know many companies who would pay for stationary like that; so why buy your own when you can get it free (even if it is boring)?
Jul 7, 2011 at 11:01 pm rating: 1
#10
Canthz_B
Keep the change.
–Bethany
Jul 8, 2011 at 12:47 am rating: 10
#11
Kay
Bethany arrives at the office in her pyjamas again.
“Bethany, please change.”
Jul 8, 2011 at 1:26 am rating: 8
#12
Canthz_B
The change is good sign was made by that 80 year-old lady who’s always in front of me in the grocery line.
She always waits until the cashier accepts her $20 bill for a $15.32 purchase and rings it up showing $4.68 change on the register before she tells the mathematics-challenged, pimple-faced cashier she has a quarter and a dime.
By the look on the kid’s face, you’d think someone asked her to recreate some work of Einstein’s at this point.
Lady, if change is good, keep yours and let me get out of the darned store.
Jul 8, 2011 at 1:38 am rating: 7
#13
Kay
Bethany arrives at the office in yesterday’s clothes again, but today her dress is on backwards and she has notewriter’s lipstick colour smeared in the corner of her mouth.
“Bethany, please change.”
Jul 8, 2011 at 1:40 am rating: 2
#14
Kay
Note is tacked to Bethany’s stinky ripe baby, gurgling in its babyseat beside her desk.
“Bethany, please change.”
Jul 8, 2011 at 1:44 am rating: 2
#15
Kay
Billy Joel also left a note for Bethany,
“Don’t go changing to try and please me…”
Jul 8, 2011 at 1:50 am rating: 4
#16
Kay
Bethany is a transformer and it’s time to fight the Decepticons.
“Bethany, please change.”
Jul 8, 2011 at 1:53 am rating: 21
#17
Kay
Bethany is a chameleon in an office full of chameleons, and the only one refusing to don office grey or office beige.
“Bethany, please change.”
Jul 8, 2011 at 1:58 am rating: 10
#18
Kay
In the library:
Bethany won’t shut up.
Hermoine Granger holds up her notepad sternly,
“Rodens Versavertremum!”
Nothing.
Hermoine scribbles and passes note,
“Bethany, please change.”
Jul 8, 2011 at 2:19 am rating: 2
#19
Graham
No, no you’ve got it all wrong!
It’s a plea from the financially challenged management that they would like all employees to contribute the spare coinage from their pockets and purses.
Bethany has been singled out because she responds well to messages on coloured paper written with a crayon.
BTW, what’s a dime? I’m only used to proper money: farthings and florins and groats and guineas and the like.
Jul 8, 2011 at 3:09 am rating: 3
#20
Grant
I think it was supposed to read, “Bethany, please change the biro suppliers as their shit pens only do three words before running out. Thank you.”
Jul 8, 2011 at 4:23 am rating: 19
#21
havingfitz
Notewriter has gotten extensive therapy for her militant vegan views but still has issues with Bethany’s Egg McMuffin.
“Bethany, please change.”
Jul 8, 2011 at 7:28 am rating: 14
#22
bored@work
The first sign would be excellent for homeless people everywhere.
Jul 8, 2011 at 9:48 am rating: 1
#23
Yolanda
Maybe she had pit stains on her shirt and they wanted her to change her clothes.
Jul 8, 2011 at 10:34 am rating: 1
#24
Quite Contrary
At least Bethany’s notewriter didn’t write the note on a napkin of any kind.
Jul 8, 2011 at 11:24 am rating: 2
#25
*snerk*
The uniqueness of the stationery should make Bethany’s mystery correspondent easy to identify, at least.
Can’t be too many bubbly pastel notepads around a typical office. I suspect it’s safe to automatically eliminate all the men.
Jul 8, 2011 at 11:33 am rating: 3
#26
Ed Decatur
I’m with the first note writer. Many times I’ve been told to change my teaching methods, not because there is a problem with the current methods, but because there is a new teaching fad that is all the rage at the District Office. My boss has actually said that the reason we need to use the new method is that “Change is good.” Actually, it’s so that she will get brownie points when she brags about it at the principals’ meetings.
Jul 8, 2011 at 12:19 pm rating: 4
#27
ShellyB
It’s a scavenger hunt for Bethany. The rest of the note is on the printer and says “…the ink cartridge.”
Jul 8, 2011 at 3:47 pm rating: 3
#28
Get on your bikes and ride
That first note looks to be the original rejected slogan ideas of a recent presidential campaign.
Jul 9, 2011 at 1:28 am rating: 1
#29
Canthz_B
♫ I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I’ve been running ever since
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will
It’s been too hard living but I’m afraid to die
Cause I don’t know what’s up there beyond the sky
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will. ♫
Jul 9, 2011 at 2:50 am rating: 4
#30
Lisa von Lempke
Change clothes, of course.
And they must have had a good reason to ask you to do that, Bethany. Maybe it is time you took a good look at yourself, young lady.
Jul 9, 2011 at 3:32 pm rating: 1
#31
Lisa von Lempke
Hmm…mmm?
Was wondering…why do some people show up in green, and others in grey, on this site?
I’m sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for that.
BUT.
Why do the comments of the green people have high ratings, and those of the grey people low ones?
Is there a caste system, here?
Not saying that one would be opposed to such a thing.
Jul 9, 2011 at 3:39 pm rating: 0
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