Me: Hi, my name is Sarah Aswell, and I’m trying to reach [generic lawyer name]. He contacted me this week about writing web content for his firm.
Assistant: Is he expecting your call, Barah?
Me: It’s actually Sarah. With an S. Yes, he told me to call at one.
Assistant: I don’t see your name in the appointment book.
Me: That’s strange, since he emailed me the meeting time yesterday and said he would put it in his Outlook calendar.
Assistant: Let me check with him. Hold on.
I hold. She returns.
Assistant: Hi, Barah?
Me: Hi. My name’s Sarah. Not Barah. I don’t really think Barah is even a name. I’m guessing that this ongoing issue might be why you can’t find my name in your appointment book.
Assistant: He’s in the middle of something. Can he call you back?
Me: Sure.
Assistant: Can I have your number, Barah?
Me: Are you serious?
…and then I gave her my number as slowly and clearly as I could, as if I were talking to an old person from the 1800s holding one of those huge gramophone horn hearing aids. I am sure this law firm will never call me back, although if a person named Barah actually exists on the planet (which I doubt) I wouldn’t be surprised if she got a call from the dumbest secretary that there has ever been.
11 comments
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May 1, 2008 at 1:24 pm
April
I hope Barah’s last name is Cuda, or Yogi.
May 1, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Beth from Avenue Z
Looks like Beth-Barah means “the chosen house”:
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/Be/Beth-barah.html
Of course, it seems “Sarah Sarah Bo Barah” may be a legitimate use:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=22677772
And here are several Barah videos for your viewing pleasure:
http://www.truveo.com/tag/Barah
But I looked up Barah on the Baby Name Finder at http://www.drgreene.com, and it’s not there.
May 1, 2008 at 2:41 pm
rebecca
I totally used to call you Sarah Barah when I was little.
May 1, 2008 at 3:26 pm
seth
My son’s name is also Bort.
I checked and Barah is not one of the top 1,000 names in the US, but who knows with the way people name their kids these days.
May 1, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Anonymous
This is -by far- the funniest thing I’ve. ever. read.
May 1, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Brooke
oops. that was me.
May 1, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Fighting Windmills
LOL! That must have been frustrating, but it made a great blog entry!
May 1, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Emily (pricee00 on plans)
This is totally like that Simpsons where Bart can’t find a vanity license plate. “My son is also named Bort”.
May 2, 2008 at 11:18 am
Your brother
Hurry up and register http://www.barahaswell.com!!!
May 15, 2008 at 4:04 pm
grant
I met her. She used to go to my church, and she wanted to form a female/male quartet. The problem was that she couldn’t sing worth you know what. Vocal movements for her were like trying to each six soup crackers in a minute. Impossible. She said she could sing. She said her last name was Toane.
I’m sure that was her!
May 25, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Kay Dawn
Well at least your first and middle name wasn’t switched around during graduation in an auditorium of 1000+ students, faculty, and family members…by your own professor.