Friday, January 28, 2005

Just Shut Up

Have you ever had someone rattling your ear off and all you could think was "Just shut up"? This has happened to me several times in just the last 2 days.

Yesterday I got stuck in a one sided conversation with someone whom I normally like talking to. Lately she just wants to bitch about the same things over and over. It's making me crazy. While she was prattling on, I remember that I wasn't listening to her much at all. I also remember clearly thinking, "Would you please just shut up and go away!"

Another time was when the king of worthless small-talk (which I abhor most of the time anyway) came into the office and started talking, but would not go away. This is another nice guy who just rattles on and on about useless things. It's not too bad for a few minutes, but after it becomes painfully obvious that he's not going anywhere for a long time, it gets hard to take.

I remember hearing a sentence he'd say, then my attention moving to some other thought in my head and then back to another thing he said and back to something I was thinking and yada yada yada. Occasionally he'd say things like "You know what I mean?" and I'd just say "Yeah." Then the cycle would resume.

Stuff like that drives me crazy. I need to learn how to extricate myself from these situations gracefully. Mostly I wait until someone else comes near us and I'll get them sucked into the 'conversation'. I'll say something like, "Hey ****, did you hear this?" When they stop to hear what was said, I'll ease myself away and then disappear, leaving them stranded in the clutches of 'the babbler of doom'.

Yeah, I suck, but it is survival of the fittest. Plus it's better than losing it and screaming in their face, "Just shut up!"

9 comments:

peachy said...

Maybe saying 'Have a steak and shut up' would be more polite.

Summer said...

I work with a girl like that. It gets so bad that the doctor will walk by us having a conversation and count how many times I say "hmmm" and how many times she says "me" or "I."

He'll come up to me after she leaves and mutter "24 times for your 'hmmm'" and "she said 'me' 47 times."

One time the count actually got up to 200 or so. That was a verrrrrryyyyyyy long boring conversation that I could not extricate myself from.

Cindy-Lou said...

I have a neighbor who talk and talk and talks, one time I said "I have to go, I have banana bread in the oven" and he still talked for 15 minutes. He obviously didn't care if my bread burned. I think you're ok for tagging someone else into the conversation to get yourself out. I'd do it.

Peeved Michelle said...

I used to have a friend like who just drop by the house and I could never get him to leave. One time I was lying on the couch reading and I heard his truck pull up. I ducked down and hid until he left.

At my last job, I used to just say, "Oh, I was just on my way to catch so-and-so before he goes into a meeting." Then I would take a walk around the building before going back to my desk. The layout of the building at my new job is not good for that, but fortunately no one talks to me here.

grace said...

omg. that happens to me EVERY DAY.

i can hear myself screaming that in my head. but with more bad words :P

Munch said...

I have the perfect solution. When you get to boil over point.

OH MY GOD. Do you know what time it is. I have a conference call (meeting) doctor appt (lunch with friend) keep using multiple excuses if you have already used any of these. In 10 minutes. Sorry but I really have to run to the restroom and get to it. Nice Chat by the way. Talk to ya later.

Self Indulgant Little Pricks never catch on.....

Oddgirl said...

There are lots of times in my day where I feel like screaming, "Shut the fuck up, you fucking fucktard!" Instead I smile, nod, and try to back out with a mild excuse. I have grades of excuses, kind of like salsa.

A mild: I really should get back to my truffles

A medium: Michael is going to be home any minute and I really need to finish dinner. I wouldn't want him to be upset with me. Then I try to look like I'm scared or about to cry.

A hot: I have to use the restroom, please excuse me. Person keeps on chatting. I start doing the pee-pee dance and grab my crotch. I then run down the street cross legged.

That usually works. I have not had to create atomic, but I'm sure some dickhead will eventually force me to.

Cindy-Lou said...

Hey Nina, nothing like spousal abuse to get out of something, eh?

Me said...

You mean when they are looking at their computer screen and not me, and saying "Oh, huh? What was that?" you mean they aren't listening to me and they are thinking "Shut Up!"

????
Wow.
Gosh.