Keep it Realer

I tend to feel pretty comfortable with most people...kind of instantly. This means I often just sort of say what pops in to my head. I talk to all kinds of randoms and I think we all enjoy it.

An example of this is when I went on an out of state business trip for my old job. I arrived a day before my boss, and apparently that was enough time to get to know quite a few people. When she arrived we rode in the hotel van and to her surprise the driver greeted me by name and told me his girlfriend really liked the idea I gave him for a gift for her. Next we got to the restaurant for dinner, and coincidentally a guy I met on the subway and talked to was our server and greeted me by name, and everyone at the front desk of the hotel knew me too. My boss seemed stunned, and when she called it out that surprised me. I didn't really notice I was talking in any way that was abnormal (aka that everyone else didn't do) to these people (aka ALL people).

Because I'm so comfortable with people, sometimes this crosses over in to client territory. It's never caused me any trouble, in fact I think my clients all like me a lot (and if you know differently, keep it to yourself), but it tends to shock my co-workers when they are around me in a client situation for the first time. Today was a good example.

I was filming for Beaumont Hospital and it was the first time Kevin had worked with me. I got pretty comfortable with the guy managing the project for Beaumont and every time I joked with him or said something, you know, funny, I would see Kevin either look shocked or his mouth would fall open, or he would just let out a short burst of shocked laughter.

I may have suggested digging up some cadavers at one point for easy film release forms since it was so hard to get them from living staff, and the client may have told me that I was "making his life a living hell," but I'm pretty sure he meant that in a good way. My favorite moment of the day was when Brian (the client) and I were talking about food or something that I thought should be a perk that Beaumont gave to their employees and Brian said something along the lines of, "You obviously don't know how Beaumont.."spends"..money." Without thinking I replied, "Yes I do-- I saw the one ply toilet paper in the bathroom."

When Kevin let out his short burst of shocked laughter I realized that might not be funny to the client, and turned, but was relieved to see Brian laughing heartily and agreeing.

I don't know...why do we have to act different than we would at home just because we're at work? Keep it real people. If you have to call out a t.p. faux pas, so be it. I'm pretty sure that even though I made this guys day a living hell, he will always remember it fondly.