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Everyday Eccentricities
Some of the interesting things people do every day.
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Have you ever thought about the odd behaviors people adopt in different situations? Here’s a short list of things I’ve been thinking about. I am sure you can add others.
How are you? Yes, I know that doesn’t sound like strange behavior but consider what happens in the office. Every time you pass someone in the hall—even if you’re half-running and obviously not about to stop and chat—your co-workers will ask “How are you?” and get surprised if you proceed to tell them. What’s more, the next time they see you, even if it’s five seconds later they will ask the same question. As if anything had changed since you last saw them. Maybe that’s why it’s a bit of a surprise to find out that my co-workers did care how I was….
May I help you? Every time I walk into the shop I get this question and a smile. The first time it’s OK but after three times when you have assured the nice salesperson that really you don’t need any help and are “just looking” it would be nice if they would take the hint and leave you alone. But they don’t. Maybe that’s part of their job description, I don’t know.
Sneezing is not Leprosy. Really. Even with the outbreak of the swine flu, a sneezing or coughing fit can be caused by all sorts of things that have nothing to do with the flu, let alone swine flu. In my case, I often get the sniffles due to air conditioning and even a fan set on the high setting makes my husband’s throat sore. In neither case is this the swine flu. And yet, I have noticed that ever since the swine flu outbreak, people have been backing away from folks who dare sneeze or cough in public. As though they’re lepers.
Swine Flu Parties. Which brings me to the other weird phenomenon associated with the swine flu: swine flu parties. This is the rage in the UK apparently although British and now American health officials think it a rotten idea. People have decided that exposing themselves to what most think is still a mild form of the H1N1 virus will immunize them against the much more lethal form that is expected to hit with the school year. Kind of like getting immunized against chicken pox but without the needles. But American and British health officials warn that we really don’t yet know enough about the swine flu and that deliberately exposing oneself to the virus could thus be a deadly idea.
These are just some of the odd behaviors I have been noticing (and in the case of the swine flu parties) reading about. I am sure you can think of others. The nice thing about these eccentricities is that (in my opinion at least) they make people and thus life much more interesting.
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14 Comments
Haha..this is such a funny piece..thanks for the read..thanks and liked it.
Lol! I always have experiences with sales ladies following me around. When I was younger I used to shy away. Now, I just tell them, “I’m just looking, I’m not gonna buy”. This is such an enjoyable read
I like it a lot. Thanks. Victoria
Hi Inna – How are you? I wrote a piece on this particular exccentricity also. I gave a few choices for answers. My favourite is “I am functioning within the parameters that I have come to accept as normal.”
Hi Inna – How are you? I wrote a piece on this particular exccentricity also. I gave a few choices for answers. My favourite is \”I am functioning within the parameters that I have come to accept as normal.\”
Nice article. The first time they ask is being polite. The second and third time makes you feel like they don’t trust you. Well done.
You are right, we do have some strange customs. One we have here is to say to everyone, ” come and see me” when taking our leave. We don’t mean a word of it and would be totally surprised if anyone took us up on it.
Karen–
That’s a good line. May I borrow it?
Thank you everyone for your comments!
Inna
nice post! yeah..those are odd..but i’m not aware of these things..i was just uncomfortable with the sales ladies too:)
Strange…but nice article!
another I like,
enjoyed this one
Seems like normal things but just turned out to be eccentric.
Great article well thought out.