The communication thing.

[boxofdelights]

[In which I am talking to my husband about my reaction to the latest communication from the housepainter.]

Me: "Fine! Here's your money! And keep an eye out for my essay, 'How to turn a disappointed customer into a customer who is VIBRATING WITH RAGE, in five easy emails, each with its own special fauxpology!'"

Hugh: Is that what you wrote back?

Me: ...No. I'm not going to waste a line like that on him. He wouldn't enjoy it.


I should write that essay for you, dear readers, because you would enjoy it, but it'll have to wait until I can look back on it and laugh, because with me, VIBRATING WITH RAGE is more like vomiting with rage, and I would prefer not to.


Earlier, I told Hugh, "The human communication thing. I suck at it. I should stop."
He said, "You can't stop. Well, there's one way you could stop."
I said, "OKAY FINE. I should MINIMIZE my exposure to it."

Not seriously. Except for the fact that I suck at it.


Hugh reads my public LJ posts, and sometimes reads the comments. He is impressed by my kind and helpful friendslist. When I write about a problem and get reams of kind and helpful advice, he is incredulous. "Why don't you respond to them?" he asks. I say, "...."

It's the communication thing. I have some deficiencies there. After I write, I am spent. There is a significant refractory period before I can compose anything new.

Terrible metaphor.


Are you offended, disappointed, or hurt when I don't respond to your comments? Would it help at all if I said something perfunctory like 'Thank you'? Can you suggest anything that would help?


I do appreciate you. I do wish to become better at expressing it.

Comments

[loligo.livejournal.com]

Whenever people post polite little replies to my comments, I always think, "Oh, damn, should I be doing that too? Am I rude for not responding unless I have something substantive to add to the conversation?"

Which is to say, my natural inclination in these situations is much like yours. So your communication style suits me just fine!

[houseboatonstyx.livejournal.com]

I'm always boggled by bland little no-content replies to my comments. I feel kind of embarassed. If what I said didn't deserve a real reply, then at least zie could have politely ignored it. ;-)

[frumiousb.livejournal.com]

I used to think like this, but then learned that I had offended a long-term LJ friend by not making those little polite acknowledgements of comments. And when I asked a similar question as boxofdelights it turned out that quite a few people like to get them. I never mind it, myself. But tastes do apparently vary.

[jesse_the_k]

I'm the worst of both worlds. I hesitate to comment, but am despondent when I don't receive them. /runs & hides