I am pretty sure I am one of the youngest, if not the youngest person at my workplace. I don’t mind it, but I have found myself needing help with some otherwise basic things.

Who knew coffee would be such a struggle? Like I told everyone in the Editorial Department, I am from the Keurig generation and have never made an actual pot of coffee. 

Because of that, I have been faced with challenges when wanting coffee at work and while trying not to seem like a lazy coffee thief. When I first started working here, I would always just bring it from home, made from a K-cup of course, but I have gradually started getting it from the coffee pot at work. 

One day, I walked into the kitchen area, mug in hand, wanting a cup of coffee only to find that the pot was empty. James noticed me walking out coffee-less and asked if I wanted him to make some and I said yes and apologized for being a part of the Keurig generation. 

I have even asked to watch Lisa make a pot so I know how to do it in the future, but am still not confident in my abilities to not screw it up. Sheila felt bad for me and also showed me how to do it a different day, but I have yet to make my own pot for everyone. I will eventually do it, but for now I continue my apologies for being a coffee freeloader in the workplace.

Another thing I learned I do not know how to work here is the phone. It’s a basic enough landline, desk phone with a cord attached to it, but has proven challenging for me. I was trying to call a number the other day and every time I attempted to dial it, I was too slow and it told me to put an area code with the number, which I already did. 

I tried calling this number back at least 10 more times with the same results and occasionally hit a number with my fingernail by mistake and had to start over. I finally had to ask Lisa to please call the number for me, and she got it to work on the first try. 

While attempting to dial the simple phone number, I noticed the screen on the phone said “Message for you.” I asked if it always said that or if there was a message for me. I was told it meant I had a message, but guess what? I have no idea how to listen to messages left for me on this phone. 

Apparently I need a phone code to do that and funny enough, I threw away a piece of paper that has been on this desk since I started that said “phone code” last week. I don’t know if the message is for me or the previous occupant of the desk, but if anyone has ever tried to reach me and left a message, I promise I am not ignoring it, I am just phone illiterate apparently.  

Standard reporter Bethany Porter can be reached at 473-2191.