Filling in official forms, makes my head hurt. A lot!

 

Filling in official forms, makes my head hurt. A lot!

25 April 2024

I’m rather fond of admin and don’t mind doing it at all. Weird, right? Cause I think most people hate it.

 

Now I’m not saying that I actively go out there and look for admin stuff to do, but I’m quite happy to just knuckle down and do it. It’s kind of non-thinking work. You simply just get on with it and usually you can see the results of what you’re doing. The pile of papers gets less, your inbox shrinks, stuff gets chucked out and everything sort of goes where it needs to go. So the end result is rather satisfying. In addition I'm methodical, so I find it all rather logical.

 

So given the above, it might be quite surprising to discover that filling in official forms, does not fill me with joy. At all.

 

There are so many senseless boxes to tick. And should you tick them or make a cross? The boxes are really small. You always have to use a pen and I’m more of a clutch pencil kind of gal, and have a great fondness for an eraser (my kids have urged me to not use the word rubber…). So many boxes seem to require the same information over and over again. And I sometimes find the simplest of questions on a form rather challenging.

 

I mean given the fact that my postal address and residential address is the same, why should I need to tick where I would like to receive my correspondence? It’s the same bloody place. Besides which, why does anyone actually need to know where I live? It’s not that I mind, but having to fill my whole address out twice means that there’s lots of room for error. Also, when last did I receive anything in my actual physical mailbox outside my house? Everything is done via email, right?

 

I’ve recently started a new job and I absolutely LOVE it!!! So grateful for the wonderful opportunity, awesome company, fantastic working environment, fabulous colleagues and really great bosses. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy my role in my new job. I’m learning and growing and I’d like to believe that I’m making a valuable contribution. Well, maybe not just yet, but definitely in the future. One that will hopefully increase as I skill up and become better at my job. For now, I’m thinking I’m probably more of a bother than a help, but in time I'm positive that this will improve once I’ve gained more experience.

 

But just the other day, I had to fill out a really, really basic one page form for my boss. So yes, it was a form for SARS with a lot of little boxes to tick and complete. And I had to fill in an employee’s personal details, ID number, Company number, employment dates, financial details, etc. But let’s keep it real. I had all of the information in front of me. Albeit in a different format. It was a very simple matter of transposing information from one form to another. Hardly rocket science.

 

Apparently it was not that simple. For me. My boss printed a single page for me to complete. It didn’t take long for me to make my first mistake. In black ink. But fear not. Was I not issued with my very own bottle of Tipp-Ex at work? Surely this would be a very quick fix. So I painted the mistake away, blew the Tipp-Ex dry, made my correction and studiously completely the form. Delighted that I was finished, I took it to my boss and proudly gave it to her.

 

She took one look and said that it would not be accepted by SARS. So she printed me another copy. Felt a bit embarrassed, but it’s just one page after all and anyone can make a mistake.

 

Completed my 2^nd attempt and realized that I’d filled in a wrong line. Knew by now that Tipp-Ex was not an option. So I sheepishly went to my boss and explained that I’d unfortunately made yet another mistake. Apologised and asked her to print it for me again.

 

My 3^rd attempt went really, really well. And I finished the whole thing. Before I realized that I’d filled a December salary amount into a January block. I could not believe my stupidity. By now I was mortified. My first reaction was to drop my head on my desk and I got the most inappropriate and uncontrollable attack of the giggles. Couldn’t believe that I’d done it yet again. Cringed at the thought of bothering my boss yet again to ask her to print me a 4^th form.

 

Still I could not stop giggling. Eventually sent Grant a message and told him what an #eejit I was. Finally plucked up my courage, tried to school my face into a look of remorse (which I really felt, but I do tend to giggle inappropriately when I get nervous, ruining my sincerely remorseful look), knocked on my boss’s door and confessed once more. To top things off I giggled while confessing and over explained what had happened.

 

To be fair, she was most patient with me. Didn’t blink an eye. And went ahead and printed me another 3 copies. Just in case. And just as well… She's clearly a wise woman and had sized me up by this stage.

 

Delighted to report back that I finally completed the form accurately and without mistake. However it did take a rather disproportionate amount of time, paper and ink.

 

Now, this fear-of-form-filling moment of introspection, made me think of other forms. And I had to wonder if anyone else ever felt the same way?

 

And then I remembered…

 

There was this one time my Amber had to go to the doctor and I accompanied her. Once we announced our arrival at reception, the receptionist handed over a clipboard and form that needed to be completed with Amber’s personal details. I knew for a fact that I DID NOT want to complete this form. In addition, I could turn my aversion into a learning experience for Amber. Which made me think. Had she ever really filled out an official form of any kind?

 

I delighted in handing the clipboard over to her and informing her that it was time for her to fill in her own form. One of the “perks” of being an adult.

 

It was a lengthy process and she had lots of questions along the way. And hey, I so get it. I also find forms confusing. Clearly, I’m not very bright. Not saying that she isn't. But I know for a fact that I'm not. She was a first-timer.

 

We got to the bit where they asked for the contact details of her next of kin. So I told her that she could simply add my name, surname, contact number, etc.

 

The following question on the form was, “Relationship”.

 

Now I didn’t think that would be a hard one for her to complete. In my opinion, the relationship question was an easy one. I’m her mother, hence my details. Piece of pie.

 

Until she stumped me with a question she whispered loudly to me…

 

“Why would they want to know if I’m single or if I’ve got a boyfriend?”

 

I guffawed. As did the receptionist.

 

So there you have it. Forms are truly baffling. To many of us. In addition, it’s also clearly a hereditary condition. Sorry Amber!