What did you say?

I'm spending some time on the shores of Lake Michigan this week, at some random trade show exhibiting some software I wrote earlier this year. Cool place, not sure I'd live here, but I definitely like the place and have a better opinion of Chicago than some areas on the East coast.


"Who come ask you that wan now?"


Its not a good look standing on my feet for hours on end for three days and though things have gone well one particular person got to me. My speech is a touchy spot for me, because I speak very fast and tend to swallow a fair number of my words. Worked on it I have and I probably should take a speech class. Its always been that way even from home and conversations between my siblings and I can come out sounding like sniffs, mumbles and grunts to the casual observer. No, not code words, just speedy dialogue.


Its the end of the first day, here comes miss thing walking into the exhibit. Black and female, she is one of few from either category. I give a brief rundown of the solution, and she asks a few questions. Two, possibly three mother-like warnings(she's middle-aged) to slow my speech down later, she thanks me and walks away. I replay what just happened in my mind and hope she didn't recognize the "will you mind your effing business" expression hidden behind the smile on my face.


I had gotten through the entire day at a busy exhibit without a problem. Is it possible everyone else ignored it? Mmm I think not, I'll have seen the puzzlement on their faces if my explanation was lost on them even if they were too PC to say so. Maybe she thought she was doing me a "Sista" to "Brotha" favor but in the heat of the moment I put it down to the "I can't understand your accent" issue that mysteriously crops up the moment someone has a problem with pronouncing your name. My name tag giving my obviously non-"Mr Smith" name away didn't help there.


Sharrap and admit your lazy ass made the easier "she's the one with issues" assumption.


However she didn't say accent, she said speed, she got at a problem I know I have and actively combat and maybe its her pointing it out that ticked me off. Her subsequent visits to the booth if any, will be handled by someone-else. I'd rather not let her bias against my speech affect her perception of my company and work, particularly since I'd rather control it for professional purposes than eliminate it entirely.