Paul Bartunek: Accidental Asshole

In the last year or two, I’ve developed a horrible case of “being an accidental asshole.” I don’t intend to be an asshole most of the time, but unfortunately, things I do or say seem to come out that way. That, or people just really read me the wrong way. It’s kind of frustrating and depressing all at once.

With that said, based on the events of about a half hour ago, I temporarily retract everything.

My media photography instructor’s phone rang during his lecture and he answered it quietly and asked whomever it was on the other side if he could call back later. I waited for him to start his lecture again, and then I grabbed my phone and re-enacted what had just happened, adding, “Oh, no, I forgot to shut off my phone during class.” Lucky for me, people laughed, and the instructor actually gave me bonus points in the class for calling him out on it, I guess.

Being an accidental asshole pays off sometimes.