Client Nightmare

As I have a client in my class this week who is seriously trying my patience, I am writing this post from his perspective. By doing this I am hoping to regain my empathy.

When I started this job 20 years ago things were different. The
secretary did all my typing for me on an old DOS machine. I had my
own office and drafting table with a shiny new power eraser. We were hired
if we were the best. I graduated in the top 5% of my tech
school class. For the first 15 years of my career I was
king. You want a sheet full of cross-sections? Give me a sheet
of vellum and I'll blow away any of these guys in speed. With just an
accociates degree I put three kids though college, bought a house in a nice
suburb and have no more payments on the Blazer.

A few years ago things started to change. They never
replaced the secretary when she retired and I got a PC dumped in my
lap. When the company moved to a different building, all us drafters were
moved into cubicles. They "flattened" the organizational structure
and I didn't have much say in anything. They sent me to a Microsoft class so I can plug away at letters and e-mail. And this CADD thing? I tried it once. Even bought a tablet device. The new kids coming in make it look like frosting a cake. I'm still faster with ink and vellum.

And today? Fuggitaboutit. They say I have to learn this
AutoCAD thing or I'd best retire. It makes no damn sence.
Right-click? Left-click? Middle mouse wheel? Do I hit enter or do I
hit Escape? What do I hit to get rid of this thing chasing the
mouse? What happened to those tablet things anyway? The teacher is half my age and she makes it look so damn easy. "Read the command line," she says. What the hell are you talking about? How am I supposed to remember Snap Overrides when I'm in the middle of figuring out dimensioning? (And I only know they are Snap
Overrides because the teacher had to remind me three times.) I'm never
gunna remember all this stuff. Theres three ways to do hundereds of
things. Its going to take me all day to build that sheet of cross
sections...and you're saying THIS is better?

But the teacher seems like a nice kid and she's attempting to give me some extra time. Kinda reminds me of my daughter.