The Burden of Maintaining Professionalism

I work very hard to be a professional at work. I don't yell at people, even when they deserve it. I try to be friendly and polite and cooperative. When I have a deadline, I try to meet it. When I tell someone that I'll have something done by x time, I make a major effort to do so and apologize when I don't. I try to take criticism as helpful rather than insulting, even when I think the criticism is foolish. I do these things because they are good manners and make working with others possible.

But sometimes being a professional is very, very hard. Not everyone I work with is a professional - several folks at my office behave erratic and unpredictable ways, can't take suggestions, don't remember anything you tell them, ignore deadlines and emails, and generally make everyone else around them insecure. They also tend to make what I regard as stupid decisions but are unable to hear that what they've done is stupid. I say nothing, because it isn't my place, but when their behavior means more work and aggravation for me - well, let's just say that right now my door is closed and I'm hoping no one wants to come talk to me because I'm just a tad irritable at the moment.

Of course, the fact that there was doggie poopie all over my living room floor this morning isn't helping. Ack, Mondays.