The other day, Dad walked into the math department office and gathered the three women together who hold these positions of organization and administration.
"I have a question for all of you," he began. "There's just one thing I need to know: what exactly ARE you?"
They looked at him a bit quizzically, but indulgently, since they know him pretty well. They must have known that there was a punchline in there somewhere.
"What do you mean?" one of them asked.
"Well," he said, "I mean, what are you? Are you secretaries? Are you administrative assistants? Something else? I just want to make sure I've got everything straight."
They laughed a bit. "I'm an administrative assistant," one informed him. "Yes, me too," said the other.
"I'm a student helper," offered the third.
"A student helper," Dad mused. "So, is that like a secretary?"
"Pretty much, yes," she agreed.
Dad thought that over for a minute.
"Happy Secretaries' Day," he said, and solemnly handed her a box of Toblerone chocolate.
I'd imagine the looks on the administrative assistants' faces were priceless.
Lest anyone feel too badly, or think that Dad is a meanie, after giving that a bit of time to sink in, he also handed out Toblerone to the other two. "Happy Administrative Assistants' Day," he said. "Sorry it's a day late."
Apparently, there is now an Administrative Assistants' Day as well as a Secretaries' Day.
Who knew?
