"Thank you for calling Tech Support. My name is Teresa. How may I help you?"

"I want to talk to a man, one who knows what's going on!"

"Well, Ma'am, I may be able to assist you- what seems to be the problem?"

"You can't help me, I want a man who is willing to do more than YOU!"

"Ma'am, I can ask you to call back, in hopes of getting one of the 2 men working today, but there is a chance your call will be answered by another woman."

"FINE!"

"Have a pleasant day, Ma'am." ***click*** - *mute button* "DAMN, you guys gotta hear this........."

Lemme just say... THANK GOD FOR MY MUTE BUTTON! However, I have to ask... would this same woman, as nasty and hateful as she was... be as inclined to speak to me this way, if she was face-to-face?

I often ponder things of no consequence.... Things like the power behind being anonymous and the gift of being mute - one way or another.

Ok, so I know her name was "Anne" (names changed to protect the innocent and all that legal crap.) And, she would have known my name (not changed, I'm writing this). But, that hardly smacks of familiarity and friendship. And, it hardly gives a person a right to speak to them like a 2nd life form... however, it happens.

At least once a day, there is some person who feels they have the right to talk to me as if I were undeserving of respect or pleasantries.. and my only crime- answering the phone.

Of course, I must say this lovely anonymous phenomenon has extended to the 'Net. Folks who go through "proxy servers" and post on bulletin boards anonymously- for (what seems to be) no other reason than to slander, demean and degrade. I could be wrong.. maybe said individuals post what they think to be meaningful and thought provoking posts. OK, I'll give them the benefit of some doubt.

My attempts at trying to see something worthwhile in that type of post is when the poster is rude, name calling ensues and peoples feelings are disregarded. My saving grace, in this situation, is the ability to take my fingers off the keyboard and step away from the computer.

It's been a long row to hoe. I've learned to "bite back". I've learned to not be so sensitive. I've learned that some people MUST inflict pain. I've also learned I don't have to accept it.

There is POWER behind MUTE, too.