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There's a woman I cannot stand who lives a couple of blocks from me. I have left stores before when I walked in and noticed she was there. She tries to flag me down sometimes when I'm riding my bike, I never see her Recently I was at a Goodwill store looking for pants for my husband to wear to a funeral (probably the one place where his khaki cargo shorts aren't acceptable) and she was there. Since I was on an urgent shopping mission, I just did my best to avoid her in the store. I don't think she knows I feel so strongly about her, because she's tried to call me a few times.
Usually, anyone you don't want to have to interact with probably feels at least somewhat awkward, too. I have developed an approach that has worked very well for me over the years. Make a statement and keep moving.
For example - let's say I am at a professional meeting and I am getting a cup of coffee and turn around and who do I see but the backstabbing SOB who half the people in the room know tried to get me fired several years earlier. Instead of saying "Hi there, Joe! How are ya? How's work?/kids/wife" which ends up in a very awkward attempt at conversation - I would instead say - "HI Joe. Be careful - the coffee is hot - I about burned myself. The pot on the left has a better pouring spout " throw a smile -- and keep walking.
I didn't avoid him. I said something that really didn't even have any meaning at all - but I didn't have to engage in conversation and he was not required to say a thing back. These types of "comments" acknowledge that you are not going to be intimidated into avoidance - but neither are you going to pretend you want to have a conversation.
This is a great way to handle a situation like this. Filing away for future reference
Location: Finally escaped The People's Republic of California
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At the store or something just a "Hey, What's up" and keep moving..not waiting for an answer and an akward moment
or put them on ignore like they are a complete stranger......you don't owe them anything....screw em
There's a woman I cannot stand who lives a couple of blocks from me. I have left stores before when I walked in and noticed she was there. She tries to flag me down sometimes when I'm riding my bike, I never see her Recently I was at a Goodwill store looking for pants for my husband to wear to a funeral (probably the one place where his khaki cargo shorts aren't acceptable) and she was there. Since I was on an urgent shopping mission, I just did my best to avoid her in the store. I don't think she knows I feel so strongly about her, because she's tried to call me a few times.
Nosy neighbors.
Even walking to the mailbox, my neighbor used to run out to say hi if she saw me (I work over 10 hours a day and am rarely home, so she must spy out the window)
One time the back sunroom was open, and the dogs were out in their pen, she came over(unannounced) to ask who my latest visitor was (house is on the market). Its actually amusing because the less you say, the more these nosy people die of curiosity.
I can certainly understand your feelings on this. But unlike Facebook, offline life doesn't have a block feature, though I wish it did
Sure it does, you just have to put more effort into it.
For reasons I won't go into, I do not want to run into my father. Some 10 years went by and we parked right next to each other at a funeral. I was getting in my car and he in his and he looked right at me and didn't recognize me. Same thing happened at the Dentist when he was leaving and I was coming it. He looked right at me and just kept walking and didn't even recognize me. Problem solved.
The other is someone I took a restraining order out on. It used to cause me tremendous anxiety. There was a market close to my home, he would often take his mother there to get her prescriptions and when I was in there, I would get so overcome with anxiety, I would often leave full carts of groceries in an aisle and couldn't get out of the place fast enough. Before anyone says, "Why didn't you go someplace else?" It was within walking distance to my house, and very inexpensive. He on the other hand had to drive from his home which was across the boarder to another city.
Current boss that just laid me off my job of 21 years. I turned down a invitation to special event for a mutual friend because there was no way in Hell I was going to be in the same room with the ex-boss. Gratefully, the friend understood completely.
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Recently I was at a Goodwill store looking for pants for my husband to wear to a funeral (probably the one place where his khaki cargo shorts aren't acceptable) and she was there. Since I was on an urgent shopping mission, I just did my best to avoid her in the store. I don't think she knows I feel so strongly about her, because she's tried to call me a few times.
