Since we cannot read minds, it can be a challenge to ever be sure we are effectively communicating. You could write or say something and mean it one way, but have it taken another. And sometimes, individual words can be misunderstood.
I had lunch at my desk today and a friend called to say hello—we had a brief chat about our weekends. She and her husband are volunteering at a senior center in Rockville on Saturday. I’d heard a restaurant near there was running a promotion during September and shared the info.
Me: There’s a nice tapas restaurant in Rockville that’s offering an all-you-can-eat special during September. It’s $20 for lunch and $30 for dinner.
Friend: Hmmmm.
It was weird she didn’t ask about the food. Normally she would, so I decided to talk about it.
Me: Not all of their dishes are great, but their vegetable and seafood dishes are really good. $20 is a good deal—you get to try a wide selection of their small servings.
Friend: I wouldn’t go there even if the food was free!!!
Me: Why not?
Friend: I would NEVER go to a topless place!
Me: Tapas! Tapas! T-A-P-A-S!!!
Friend: Ahahahahahaha!
We both laughed for a long time, but…friendships can be ruined and wars started that way. I was surprised my friend didn't question what she had heard. I asked her what she was thinking and why she didn’t speak up immediately—for all she knew I was having a personality-changing stroke and needed medical attention!!! She said it was so out-of-character and unexpected that she was just too shocked to say anything. I'm glad we cleared up the misunderstanding and had a good laugh.
So, the next time someone says something completely out-of-character, make sure you heard him/her correctly. If you didn’t hear it correctly, you can laugh about it. But if you did, well, maybe only men work at that topless place. LOL!!!
PS – In defense of my friend’s listening skills and my enunciation, I AM stuffy today. But unlike Becks who very cleverly wrote, “I hab a code” earlier this week, my yuckiness is due to allergies. Hope you feel better now Becks!
Have a great weekend everyone!!!
Hahahahaha I hope you feel better soon! Allergy colds are just as bad as regular colds
ReplyDeleteIf u ever come to NYC we'll make sure to steer away from TOPLESS bars lmao
LOL! that made me LOL. Topless you know! haha she must be a bit freaked out when you said that.:P
ReplyDeleteLOL that's too funny. i could go for some tapas though...i just realized i haven't eaten lunch!! gotta go ( :
ReplyDeleteThat is hilarious! It is good you got the misunderstanding cleared up by the end of the conversation or there might have been some interesting rumors going around about you. :-)
ReplyDeleteI am sure Becks appreciates your well wishes (I'm her mom, in case you hadn't connected the two of us). And sorry if my appliance story gave you nightmares. You were joking about the light bulb not going off when you shut the door of your fridge, right?
Funny that you wrote something about this. I have always had people hearing different things when I say something here in Australia. And I have to listen carefully to them or ask them to repeat something that confuses me. I must be terrible. I need to adjust on their accents and mine on my accent. Hehehe =)
ReplyDeleteI don't even know how many times that's happened to me. If it sounds weird to me... I try to always ask. And if people give me the hmmmm instead of a real answer, I ask if they know what I'm even talking about. :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you feel better soon Rick! Allergies are terrible *hugs*
ReplyDeleteLOL! Glad to know that you've cleared up the misunderstanding, haha..
ReplyDeleteawhaw- =c
ReplyDeletehope u get welll instantly-
toplesss hahahahahah
LOL that's hilarious! I can imagine trying to enter one, and then declining to enter because it is REQUIRED to be topless before they allow you to go in XD
ReplyDeleteHope you get better soon Rick! :)
what a riot! good to know that was all cleared up. lol.
ReplyDeleteaw have lots of rest, get well soon! :)
that is so true! this sometimes happen to me and my workmates or friends...even my husband. it's always a funny thing. but yes, asking again what the other person is talking about is a good advice.
ReplyDeleteYour story is so hilarious!! I can totally imagine the same scenario with a friend.. and having a "laugh our butts off" moment afterward. Btw I love tapas- it's become one of my favorite foods since I discovered it!
ReplyDeletehi!
ReplyDeletenice blog
maybe you'll pass by mine too if you have time and follow it?
http://konadnails.blogspot.com
thanks!
Hilarious, from Tapas to topless XDDD I really love Tapas, but I wouldn't enjoy them in a topless place, hahaha! I'm glad you could clear the misunderstanding!
ReplyDeleteTapas and topless?! Hahahahahaaha. Communication is one of the keys to a successful relationship whether it's friendship, love, or work, good communication goes a long way.
ReplyDeleteHahah! Oh, my goodness. I'd be too shocked to say anything too! LOl!
ReplyDeleteCLOTHED MUCH, a modest fashion blog
Haha, oh yes, the importance of communication. Those moments are always really funny!
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm feeling much better, thanks! Hopefully your allergies clear up. Allergies are almost worse because they can persist longer.
LOL omg I can't imagine eating at a topless place! that's kinda mmm i mean for nude beaches it's always the old people that gets nikked it's never anyone hot, I would assume it'd be the same for a topless place. but tapas, on the other hand, yummmmm!
ReplyDeletetopless restaurant? you rick? tsk tsk tsk... i'm highly disappointed.
ReplyDeleteheheheh just kidding! and by the way, i'm back.... i'll explain more of my absense next week... but for now, i've started the 30 day blog challenge so i don't have to think about what to write each day! :P
ReplyDeleteLOL topless.. wait no, i meant TAPAS hahaa
ReplyDeletexx
Tapas topless tapas topless tapas topless...
ReplyDeleteim trying to repeat both words to see if i can somehow said either word incorrectly but i can't!
hahahahtopless.
ReplyDeletethanks for the comment haha, it's actually the bakery of my relative so my mom and i always go there to meet up :)
i'm honored to be the one to introduce you to nutella! once you go nutella.. you never go........ what rhymes with nutella? cruella? you're good at rhyming, help me out here rick! hehe! :D
ReplyDeleteHope you're feeling much better now. Anyway, good friends don't jump to conclusions just like that ... reconfirm as it's possibly a mistake or at best, just laugh it off and give the person the benefit of a doubt.
ReplyDeleteLOL this was hilarious!! hahaha
ReplyDeleteReminds me of someone I know who is always hearing me wrong ( I personally think he needs to go get his ears checked, but his brother, my boyfriend, thinks he just needs to learn how to listen better )
This is how one of our latest miscommunications went...
Me - What's Julie doing?
Him - O_o uhhh..... drinking a beer..? obviously! hahha
Me - Really, what? By herself? Why doesn't she come hang out with us??
Him - what are you talking about?
Me - Julie! Tell her to come here
Him - .... *looks at me like I'm crazy*
Me - *getting frustrated*
Him - Uhhh... are you feeling okay??
Then I started getting mad because I thought he was just being mean to me and making me feel stupid. BUT it turned out that he didn't hear "what's julie doing" He thought I said "What are you doing?" LOL And just thought I was being a little crazy in the head, hahha
BAHAHA!!!
ReplyDeletejust so you know...i would go to a tatas bar if the food was good. why not?
but a tapas place will do too!
Your friend is polite. I'd scream "Why the heck would I want to go to a topless place?!"
ReplyDeletenutella/kymela nutella/vanilla... it all sounds good to me! haha! okay so don't laugh but i googled "what rhymes with nutella" and i got umbrella and fella. haha!
ReplyDeleteNyahaha. I would go to a topless restaurant any day. Food and boobs hanging out, all in one place? How can you go wrong?
ReplyDelete