I just got back from a “business meeting,” which is short for “excuse to eat on the company expense account while we discuss fishing and maybe ten minutes’ worth of business-related activities.”
Food? Pretty good, actually. Company? Nice enough people.
Me? Not so nice.
It seems that as I go through life and the longer I live (and don’t get me wrong - I’m not going off on one of these “I’m getting so old” tangents) the less I understand the subtleties of human social interaction, and the less time I want to invest in it.
Since I’m not a huge fan of the human race in general, I suppose it only makes sense that I don’t have a whole lot of interest in making nicey-nice with people that I don’t know, will probably never see again, and only work with tangentially (i.e., I deliver files to them electronically, and they email me to say that they got them.)
Is that so wrong? I wasn’t rude or anything – just quiet. I didn’t feel like I had a lot to offer the conversation, so I kept my mouth shut. I realize that it is necessary to rub shoulders/other body parts in order to advance in the corporate world, and we all know how I feel about that.
I guess this means that I am well on my way to becoming the crotchety old bastard that yells at the kids to stay off his lawn and then totters off for a nap.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Hey sweetie I just wanted to remind you, we are having dinner with the Jones tonight. Please put on your good socks.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
You’re in luck! I just finished throwing out all of the ones with no elastic!
Shall I wear my sock suspenders anyway?
Maybe that’s all I’ll wear.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
I’m glad I’m not the only one who puts “business meetings” right after “having a root canal” on my list of things I like to do.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:37 am
My coworkers don’t understand why I don’t eat in the company lunchroom, but small talk with strangers isn’t my idea of spending a relaxing half-hour.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:05 am
I’ll take socializing over the net any day to having to do it in person.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:21 am
montucky: I think it might even be higher on your list. Mine falls somewhere below root canals and picking socks.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:22 am
DaisyJo: I’m with you; my company doesn’t have a lunchroom, but if they did, I probably wouldn’t even be able to tell you the color of the walls.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:29 am
Preposterous: absolutely. I do okay in MeatSpace, I guess, but I\’m more comfortable in front of a monitor. Must be my geekiness reasserting itself.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:22 am
*giggle @ Rebecca’s comment*
Like DaisyJo, before I got my own office (and now eat with my hubby in here since we work together) I used to eat lunch in my car. I’d much rather read my novel, listen to the radio, stare at the gravel, than make small talk with people I don’t know and don’t like just so they won’t think I’m anti-social even though I am.
I’m always told that I’m so good with people, why don’t I work in the customer service field? Um, because I DID. That’s WHY I’m anti-social. In fact, I love ya’ll online, but if we meet outside of a writer’s conference, I’m just as likely to run away as I am to have a lengthy chat.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Oh yeah- and I married a man who’s actually more anti-social than I am. It gets a little scary at home with us scheduling time with people we actually know and like IRL. “I dunno- I was at my parents last weekend so I’ll want some alone time. Does 6 weeks from now work?”
May 20th, 2008 at 11:17 am
I eat at my desk, and I have no friends, except for you all. Small wonder I don’t understand human social interactions, I suppose.
And I agree - six weeks is a good recovery time from time with parents.