I didn’t say hello? I didn’t even see you. I didn’t respond to your Facebook post? I never even read it. I didn’t call you back? Was I supposed to? I didn’t comment on your email? Is that the one that was so long I had no idea what the point was when I finished? I didn’t return your text? I thought it was just a statement and I didn’t think a response was needed! Besides, if I DO return it, you will just say something else and it will go on and on and on……
I’ve been on the wrong end of these scenarios all too often. I know, I know….I need to be more sensitive to some but how come I always have to be more sensitive? Why can’t some people be LESS sensitive? Seriously, I cannot tell you how many times someone has tried to “think for me” or “know what I really meant” or “guess what I wanted” and been totally wrong.
While I’m at it, here are just a few more things I’d like to get off my chest…
- My “tone” is because I’m tired and has absolutely nothing to do with you.
- My comment was taken out of context. If you just pull one sentence out of the entire conversation, it just isn’t fair.
- I want to talk to you but I don’t want to have to say “no” to whatever you ask me to do because I finally called.
- Why don’t you contact ME instead of waiting for me to call you?
- You’re upset about the conversation we had? I can’t even remember what we talked about!
- Do you have any idea of the way you might have sounded during our exchange?
Case in point: How many of you are already wondering if someone upset me or are trying to figure out why am I writing this? The answer is no one. This is simply the sum of a thousand times I have felt misunderstood and did not have the energy (or tact) to comment on it.
Why can’t we all just take each other at face value? Why can’t we just give people a “pass” when they are grumpy? Or a “do over”? Why take everything so personally? I understand that situations might “affect” you but there is a very good chance they might not be “about” you.
The next time someone hurts your feelings, stop and think about their “intent”. Do you really think they would intentionally hurt you? Or is it just someone that is tired and doesn’t have the energy or self-awareness to know how they are coming across.
If we thought to ourselves, “I guess they are tired,” instead of “I can’t believe they did that to ME!” a little more often, we might all have more friends!
