Let it be released from the mind

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

I have a question

When you sit in a room for three days with the same 20 people you begin to develop little peeves and quirks about how they act in social situations. It doesn't take longer than the first day to notice the tendencies that some people have while in a group setting.

I'll be the first to admit that sometimes I have trouble keeping my mouth shut. Someone once told me that you should never speak at a group meeting because that is a sign of weakness. Rather you should observe and note, but sit to the side as an esteemed individual. I don't agree with this either, but as my husband always points out, I could use more of a mouth/brain filter than I currently possess. I don't like to leave a room silent. If someone is asking for feedback and no one else wants to respond, I'll take the brave stance and broadcast my opinions. This is not always the smartest decision for me because I am a strong-willed and independent woman. But, I think at least half the people respect me for it. Or at least that's what I understand from drunken conversations post meetings!

But what really gets my in a tizzy is when I am sitting in a meeting and every person that asks a question starts by saying "Can I ask a question?" Or "I've got a question" and then proceeds to ask it. Don't you think that if we're in this meeting learning new material that any comment that's coming out of your mouth would technically be a question. Even comments can be construed as questions in this type of setting, so what exactly is the point of wasting the time to state that you have a question before actually asking it.

Now I will also plead guilty on this case, but in different format. If I'm not in a meeting where someone is just talking AT us and dispensing information, I have done this before. If I'm standing in a group of friends and someone says something that is noteworthy I actually might say "Wait--I have a question for ya..." I make this disclaimer so that if you catch me one day in the future doing this you won't be able to jump on the Kristin bashing-wagon. I will allow you to make fun of me once or point your finger as if to say "I know you wrote a blog about this and you're living your own social awkwardness peeve", but only for a limited time. Then you must move past the ridiculing :)

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