By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Scene: Wegmans under 15 items aisle. A woman is getting checked out, but the process is unusually slow. The bag checker is having an issue. Behind her is a man, maybe in his 60’s, gray haired, with a shirt and tie, as if he had been at work. He is waiting to pay for two items. I am behind him, and he seems like the sort of guy who might exchange a few words with me while we’re waiting. He’s facing sideways, so I’m looking at his profile. During our true conversation, he never looks me in the eye.
Me: “Are you an impatient person?”
He: just looks ahead.
Me: “I’m impatient.”
He: just looks ahead, but he turns slightly and smiles, so I know that he can hear.
Me: I start fiddling with my wallet to find the store card and the credit card; need something to do since this guy is giving me the silent treatment. So I do what every bored person does these days—whip out my iPhone and check things. I also try to guess what’s going on in his head. As a doctor, I’m always looking for a diagnosis.
This experience reminds me of when the Ocean Grove United crowd (including some who are my Grovarian neighbors) gave me the silent treatment at their recent Great Auditorium Sunday silent demonstration. It’s also the same with the OGHOA whose Board has an actual silent treatment policy towards Blogfinger. It’s the only policy of theirs that actually is effective.
If any of you see me in the Grove, please say something so I’ll know that I haven’t gone deaf.
NOTE: “The silent treatment is an abusive method of control, punishment, avoidance, or disempowerment (sometimes these four types overlap, sometimes not) that is a favorite tactic of narcissists, and especially those who have a hard time with impulse control, that is, those with more infantile tendencies.” (ref: Wikipedia)
BLOSSOM DEARIE with a quiet song, “Corcovado.’