Let's talk or not!

Last night l read a post by 'Adventures of the Reluctant Housewife' entitled, 'Is it them, or is it me?' She was talking about the fact that she often gets strange looks and responses to her friendliness and l just felt that l had to post in support of my fellow blogger.

l'm a southerner (l'm from Kent) and l live in the most northern town in the north west of England (Carlisle) and l too get weird looks and silences. They seems to last moments that feel like cold steel hours, ALL of the time. Please be reassured that you are not alone!

So, we can assume your voice fits in (mine doesn't) and that you're not an alien (I'm assuming not) and that don't speak in an inordinately loud or shrill manner? Let's assume it's a given that when this happens you aren't still in your pj's ; your toothbrush isn't sticking out of your er ... pocket; you haven't got a damp patch of sick or have an overlooked soggy rusk hanging from your shoulder; your skirt isn't tucked into your knickers, which if it is, means you've probably been walking around like that since you last went to the loo 2 hours ago. Or you may suffer from a disorder such as Tourrettes and you may have to accept the fact that people will react appallingly and stare at you mouth opened.

If we allow for those people who have suffered life's trauma's and tragedies, we can only assume that these morons you are meeting are either plain rude, anti-socal, snobs or disfunctional adults or they are just so far up their own bums they can't hear you properly!

I try and smile at people, (it can be an effort l know). I do like to thank people for their help or service and mention that I appreciate it, when they go that extra mile. But often times they just peer over their glasses or through their iron (fava beans & a nice chianti) masks at me!

Let's keep up with the friendliness, the smiles and the bonhomie. It really isn't you but it is a sad reflection on our times that people would rather withdraw into the safety of their solitary existences.