Has someone ever said something to you and you drew a blank?
By Amber
@AmbiePam (85660)
United States
July 15, 2007 4:23pm CST
Please read the entire discussion to really know what I'm talking about. : ) Just reading the title of the discussion doesn't give the whole idea.
After church today I went to Walgreens to buy dog food. I'm standing in line behind a young mother (she had a sleeping baby with her and she appeared in her late twenties), and he tells her the total due is nine dollars. She looks up at the cashier and says, "What is happening? Eveything is even today. I spent nine dollars here and eighteen at the other place. Everything is even." She then looks at the cashier, smiling, and appears to be waiting for him to say something. The poor guy. He was the manager, and he was at a loss for words. Heck, I didn't know what to say to that. She hadn't said a word while paying for her few items, and then she burst out with that. Eventually, after all the cashier did was smile, she went on out to her car.
I don't know what I would do with information like that. I can't think of specifics, but I know I've been in both of those places. Hers and his. So, on the occasion someone says something out of the blue and they expect an answer, how do you respond to something so, uh, off the wall?
6 people like this
18 responses
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
16 Jul 07
Hehe--If someone says something totally whacky or off the wall, I just kind of look at them and maybe smile....Or maybe just reply, "oh, really? How interesting."
But then sometimes someone can say something you're just not expecting...and well, I tend to lash out..My one neighbor has a "history" of saying rather nasty, obnoxious things--she claims it's her sense of humor...well she has a pretty weird sense of what's humorous then..This was years ago, and I had gained some weight...well I know I had gained and really didn't need to be reminded of the fact...So I bump into her..and she says, "Wow, you really have gained a lot of weight." (It wasn't THAT much)...she then says, "You know I still have a lot of my "fat" clothes--if you want them you can have them.." Uh, I just really started to yell at her in my ladylike manner--can't repeat what I said to her here..LOL ..I mean it was so uncalled for to say that...and it was out of the blue...
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
17 Jul 07
She kind of stays away from me now...aww...what a shame....I think I kind of scared her with my outburst.....I'm usually a very quiet person, not giving into a yelling screaming kind of thing...so I don't think she was expecting me to tell her off the way I did....LOL
1 person likes this
@gberlin (3836)
•
17 Jul 07
I would have said, "It must be your lucky day!" I don't think people really expect any great deep-thinking conversation. I think the lady was jus thinking out loud. Any response would show that you recognized that she was speaking. I think it probably didn't matter what anyone said.
1 person likes this
@gberlin (3836)
•
18 Jul 07
As a teacher I have learned to think on my feet so to speak and quick responses are something that seems to be easy for me to do. My students on the other hand sometimes sit there when I ask a question or make a comment that begs for a response. If I wait long enough someone will respond. They can't stand the silence. Sometimes I pause and then repeat what I just said. This will usually bring about a response.
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
21 Jul 07
Most of the time, I end up like that poor cashier. I just have this totally stupid look on my face and can't think of a single word to respond with. I think things like that somehow flip the thinking switch in my brain to "off" somehow. Even my smartypants comments are silenced. LOL
1 person likes this
@Beertjie (976)
• South Africa
19 Jul 07
I have had that happen to me as well. Someone said something to me and expected me to react. I could not react because I had a los for words at the time. I can't remember the situation, but I know it happened a few times. Then again, sometimes I say something and expect a reply, but nothing. It feels rather strange but I think it happens to everyone.
I think sometimes it is also better not to respond because you might want to say something just to respond, and you might be the silly one with the silly reply. If you got nothing to say, then say nothing.
Interesting subject, LOL
@terri0824 (4991)
• United States
19 Jul 07
I'm not really sure how I would have responded to that statement. But I would probably have at least said hmmmmm. To acknowlede that I had heard the person. I may have even said, maybe it is your lucky day!
1 person likes this
@laridbz (1280)
• China
20 Jul 07
When people say things like that to me, I have exactly the same reaction the cashier had. I smile at them and try not to demonstrate I don't have anything at all to say. Hahaha! :D
Once I left a clerk at a video rental shop in that situation. No, it was much worse actually. Poor guy. But it was a misunderstanding, it was not my intention at all to leave him speechless and ashamed like that.
I was there to give back a DVD, and I also had the intention to rent Scent of a Woman. So, I asked him if he had the DVD available in there, but in a way that made him think I was asking if he was wearing a female perfume. Hahahaha! I asked it in my language, obviously, but the translation to English doesn't work. But you can get the idea about what happened. :)
1 person likes this
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
17 Jul 07
I think I would have smiled or laughed in a case like that. It is not easy to answer to a comment without logic but maybe it was meant to be a joke and a smile could be a good way to respond.[:o)
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85660)
• United States
17 Jul 07
She wasn't joking, but I think if I had been with her throughout the day, maybe I would understand why that was so cool to her. Since I didn't know what had gone on that day, it was out of the blue to me. But a smile goes a long way when we don't know what to say, don't you think?
@AmbiePam (85660)
• United States
16 Jul 07
It was just odd. Throughout her purchase she had said nothing, and then she says that. I was behind her and not really in the picture, just listening. The poor cashier though. Right before this lady, a man asked him if he was Hispanic. The cashier was obviously Asian! He had two people in a row put him in an odd place.
@dfollin (24172)
• United States
16 Jul 07
I have been put into that position many time's,especially with children.I just smile and shrug my shoulders.I think I would of said to her something like,"Well,it look's like an even day,huh?" Then the ball would be in her court to say something.lol.
@cefaz_21 (2596)
• Philippines
16 Jul 07
I've been to same situation too, oftentimes at a cab, the driver would just say anything,I guess just to open up conversation,sometimes I really am not in the mood of speaking specially when I am so tired but then I'll just give him my smile so he would not be offended at all.
There would be time also that I will say something to the driver and get no response,but maybe he do not know what to say or just simply don't want to talk..It happens all the time,anywhere.
1 person likes this
@charms88 (7538)
• Philippines
15 Jul 07
Hello ambie, how are you now? I just gotten out from my days of hibernation and am still laying low in the meantime. :)
This actually happened to me on several occasion especially when I'm chatting with my best friend here. Out of the blue, he is going to mention something. Likewise, it's the same for me too. It's like something occurred in my mind and I feel compelled to tell him about it right away before it flew out of my mind. This tend to lead us to misunderstand each other many times. We are still the best of friend anyway. :)
1 person likes this
@whyaskq (7523)
• Singapore
16 Jul 07
I always carry a blur blur look, so whenever someone speaks something out of the blue, I would not know I am expected to answer. At most, I look at the person and say 'huh?' then, I just look at the person point blank. It is then up to the person to break the ice again or just shake head and walk off. It happens all the time to me. lol.
1 person likes this
@steve9737 (918)
• Colombia
15 Jul 07
I would say something like I see you are busy mom or something, I think probably the girl just want to start a conversation with the cashier.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85660)
• United States
16 Jul 07
Well, the whole time of her purchase she had said nothing. It was only when he handed her her change and she was free to leave, that she said that. But I'm just wondering about other people. Have they ever said odd things like that, that make sense in our heads, but when other people here them, they just kind of look at a person strangely. I know I have done that and wished I had never said anything, LOL.
@hiddenball2 (77)
• United States
16 Jul 07
I probably would have said something like, thats weird or wow that happened to me the other day. Anything that could have made the woman feel understood and maybe make her smile.
1 person likes this
@OnfireforJesus (500)
• United States
21 Jul 07
I would have probably given her my "duh" look then changed the subject! Good One.
1 person likes this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
15 Jul 07
I've been in both places too! Usually I end up just smiling and nodding at the person or shrugging my shoulders, whatever seems appropriate.
Yesterday I got groceries and I was carrying the baby in my front carrier. As the bag boy was putting my purchases in the cart he looked at me and said "I wish I could be carried around in one of them." I didn't know what to say or how to take it.
Sometimes I think it happens when people try to hard to be friendly. They just come out with the first thing that pops into their head. Other times I think it happens when the person is just distracted. I think this is especally true of moms. I know I don't get much adult time and so I'm often talking to the kids or mumbling to myself about whatever random things I happen to think of. I think sometimes when I'm out in public I forget that there are actually adults around and I continue with my random mumblings lol.
1 person likes this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
15 Jul 07
I probably just would have done the same thing the manager did. I have been on both sides too. I would have probably just smiled too.there's nothing really one can say in that kind of situation
1 person likes this
@ddlaurie (132)
• Canada
15 Jul 07
Say any thing is better the nothing. You never no that could have been her only adult converstion of the day. Just by responding can help a small bit to brighten up someones day. Next time try responding even if it only gets a smile you may have brighten someones day.
