My chat/lunch buddy is away from the office for a few days and i am left with one other colleague. I dun think i have been this stressed for some time. At least, not for this reason.
He doesn’t speak. Not as in not chatty, but just as in, he. doesn’t. speak.
After a very lengthy speech from me, i get a monosyllabic response. Even when it isn’t a yes/no question. Like .. what is your favourite colour? … will be answered with a yes or no or just absolute stony silence.
Me being the ultimate talkathon, this is soo stressing me out. I tried to make polite conversation, make jokes, say controversial stuff etc just to elicit a response. But this guy is soo perfect for POW torture. He will not budge no matter how much i push.
So, i guess i shd learn a thing or two from him.
Starting with … i dun talk to him. At all. If i need to communicate with him for work reasons, i send an email. Even though he is my next-cubicle neighbour. If he asks me a question, i try (very very) hard to limit my number of words. Where possible, i try to go for yes/no answers (you have noooo idea how this is killing me!). Eventually he has to notice that i who am overly chatty am not even barely conversational with him.
Let’s get real here. It’s not like he is gonna change. This is just who he is. (or what he is. he really could be a cyborg, he is THAT emotionless) So, maybe the divinely ordained lesson in all this is to train me to shut up. Which we all know i need to.
Now i have 2 guys in my office whom i try to talk to and who both avoid/ignore me. Great.
That aside, luuurve Hush Hush by the Pussycat Dolls!