ACCOUNTANT BY DAY

When I got the grade back on my most recent paper, I was disturbed to see that the professor had commented to the effect that I need to watch my verb tenses because they were not consistent. As a person who takes grammar much too seriously, I was alarmed and upset by this. Because I don’t mix up verb tenses in a final draft unless I am drunk and even then I would consider such a thing highly unlike me. I wouldn’t even do that in a foreign language. That’s how much I truly love grammar!

Midway is a cozy little airport, and I have traversed it over a dozen times already, but I keep wandering anyway. I steer my roller bag into a Hallmark kiosk and point to a stuffed brontosaurus. “How much?” I ask the girl folding Chicago! tee-shirts.

See? No mixed tenses.

First I was frustrated. How could I be unlucky enough to wind up in a class where the professor doesn’t know correct verb tenses? Even though he does love Sherlock Holmes as much as I do.

Then I decided I was above it all. It doesn’t matter. This is community college. What did I expect?

Then I realized it could have just been a brain fart. I hoped that was it, anyway. So I wrote him back and politely asked him to look at it again, “for my future reference”, and waited to see what he would say. Then I thanked him for his time.

I know this whole thing was basically totally irrational, but I simply can’t stand to be accused of being wrong when I am very sure I’m not. And it really bothers me when the person is supposed to know better than me, like a teacher or my boss. So I was totally overjoyed when the professor wrote back and said something to the effect of, “You’re right, I just spotted the “traversed” and thought it was past tense because I was hurrying while I graded all the papers. Thanks, I’ll take it slower next time!” and so I knew he really did know better and it was a simple accident. Anybody could have done it. Yay!