Personal [Concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality]
September 26, 2008
At the moment it seems like flavour of the week for the girls that I work with to fire a barrage of questions at me every day about my personal life etc. The usual, surface level questions are to be expected initially, and that much I can take. But it seems there’s always one person in a group that doesn’t pick up on your subtle indications that you would prefer not to go any further with this jolly quiz.
That person won’t stop at just asking if your attached (and if so for how long have you been thus), they want to know where you met said partner and if you married!
Not married, I say.
Well then, ‘Are you engaged?’.
Not Engaged.
Well then in that case ‘When are you going to propose?’.
Don’t know.
For this particular person, the previous three answers to the previous three questions are just not exceptable in her world. We are suddenly launched into a situation where I am being given (not offered) advice on when a man should propose and how important it is to do it right and not leave it too long.
Somehow I’m then being shown a leaflet (Yes a fucking leaflet) on pre-marraige counselling. Apparently its fantastic, and also most ‘Pastors’ won’t consider marrying a couple unless they have undergone some form of such activity. In addition I’m being informed that being married in a church is absolutely essential and it’s just not the same for anyone choosing to do otherwise.
It seems that in along with finding it completely morally reprehensible that i should not already be married (or at the very least engaged), that this person is also in utter disbelief that I have found myself fatally afflicted with not being religious or caring about whether i get married in a church.
Where can this conversation go from here? No-fucking-where, I hear you cry.
Not so in the mind of our good samaritan, I now find myself being given more advice, though again with no choice in the matter.
It seems that i am now to be regarded with the same uncertainty as an advanced stage leprosy sufferer.
Isn’t it fun getting to know people at work.
White Lie [A lie of little importance, especially one told in order to be tactful or polite]
May 14, 2008
Had the obligatory phone conversation with my mother this week. Usually try to speak to her about once a month if I can remember to (or bare it). My mother talks a lot. In these ‘catch up’ calls it feels as though she truly believes that she must tell me about every single thing that she has done or thought of since the last time we spoke. I don’t bemoan these conversations, she is after all my mother and I don’t see her very often, so it’s almost a ritual of sorts now.
Obviously she asks me how I am; Obviously I say I’m fine. There’s something about that question that really grates on me. Mostly it seems when people ask it of me, I am in fact NOT all right. And it’s the kind of question that in most cases people don’t really want to hear the answer to anyway. To be honest my mother is probably a bad example because she honestly does want to know how I am, but then again if we start off down that route on one of our calls then god knows how long I might end up trapped on the phone. But in most cases (my mother withstanding) people just don’t consider the possible consequences of asking such a question.
I do my best not to ask people how they are unless I actually want to know the answer, for better or worse. Maybe if i continue in this vain those people whom I strategically don’t ask, will one day stop asking me.
Of course in some cases it’s unavoidable, the white lie is necessary to smooth over the potentially nasty pothole that such a conversation starter could lead to. Such is the custom, and long lived & learned a custom it is too.
In case you haven’t quite guessed, yes I’m still in a bad mood : )
I am now in what is officially known as a bad mood, or ‘Funk’ seeing as it’s a protracted bad mood which is extending over many days and is colouring everything I do.
In this state, I don’t want to do anything or see/speak to anyone unnecessary. Unfortunately I have to go to work, which is a shame. Outside of that contractual obligation though I am trying to avoid contact with all non-essential humans wherever possible.
This is partially (but not completely) due to the fact that I have serious tooth ache. I mean I’ve had tooth ache before, I’m an old pro in this area in fact. To be honest I’ve been having problems with my wisdom teeth for well over a year now, but the ‘Ache’ has just escalated to a whole new level, and I’m in a constant state of controlled anguish. I also have trouble opening my mouth beyond the slightest pursed effort.
That is all.
