I think we have a terrible epidemic in this country and it has to do with really ridiculous titles. You know what I mean, when you meet someone and their title is two lines on their business card? Now, I’m guilty of this too – I  liked having a title of Manager vs. Coordinator. Did anyone outside my company know what that meant – or for that matter outside my department? Nope, but I had to have it!

I love reading Phoenix Home and Garden. And I usually skim over the gardening section just to see if there’s anything useful (most of it is so basic and obvious, it’s not worth spending the time reading!). However the one thing that always strikes me about this section is the person writing it – their title, and I kid you not is: The University of Arizona Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Master Gardener. WHAT?? And it doesn’t really make sense since UofA is in Pinal county, not Maricopa…but I digress. What the hell does someone need that long of a title for? And why do they insist on writing it out every time?!

Again back to my previous employer..I very much liked the company and most of the people who ran it, but I’m pretty sure that all they did was reorganize the company and then give themselves new titles. In the four years I was there, I think they went through 3 different title changes – but all the same core group. As they would promote people they would give themselves new, better titles so as not to be confused with the little people. They went from vice presidents to senior vice presidents to executive senior vice presidents. I don’t think it would have been long before there was a change to “really super important vice president”.

The best part about my current job is that I get to pick my own title and it changes often. Sometimes I’m just “mama”, always “housekeeper”, many times “driver”, always “chef” (not cook, I’m much too good for that title), often “enforcer” when I have to put on a mean face and voice to keep Baylie away from the fireplace, and periodically”Beth”.  But really, I prefer “Super Beth”….