My Bad Luck to Sit Next to the Complainer
My bad luck to sit next to the person who seems to always have a bad day at home.
Since my work is only fill in at a job in factory, I always have to spend the rest of the afternoon listening to this fella complain about how immature his wife is. They married young, no kids are involved yet.
What polite words can I tell him that I am not interested in listening to his problems? I don’t want to offend him since we both attend the same church here in town.
Radios unfortunately have been banned from the work site because of unfortunate mishaps in the past. Any help anyone out there can give me?
- Otto
Dear Otto:
You could claim to have a hearing problem.. after the fifth WHAT?? Your point will probably be made.
Otherwise, I think annoying behaviorisms would help. Make it all about you. He starts yapping about his wife, you cut him off by saying, “you think that’s bad? You should see my wife!!” And then make up some stuff and blather on about twenty minutes. Just make sure your wife knows and/or this won’t get back to your friends and family.
Or, repeat everything this fellow says. Not like children do, but enough that he has to keep reiterating what he says. That’ll get old real fast.
You could stare vacantly back instead of talking. That will give him a creepy feeling.
Advice to Otto….have you ever thought that this person who wants to tell you these things may respect you enough to share such intimate things. Why do you have to think of this as a pain? Why not just listen? Sometimes people just need to talk to someone. That is the trouble with society today. When in many years past we were close in family and friends, now today each goes his own way. I too have had others tell me things that maybe I should not have heard. As my daughter says…TMI (too much information). But I found with experience that many times we just need someone who cares enough to listen…