Me, me, me.

[spitfire]

She has no choice, being a Bus Driver.

[Harbal]

@UkGameCoder

I’m mostly a listener anyway, so I really don’t mind at all. I hear some really funny stories from the oldies around here.

About a year ago, Elsie, who lives at the end my block, told me that Brian (another neighbour) was the oldest person in the complex. She said he was 96 years old. I said that was amazing.

A few months later, I met Brian, and during his ten minute speech, he asked me how old I thought he was. Of course, I wanted to make him feel good about himself, so I told him he looked about 90. He looked at me, quite offended, and told me that he was 82!

Well, you imagine how I felt. I didn’t know where to put myself.

I’m certain that Elsie did this deliberately because I’ve since learned that Brian asks everyone the same question and Elsie knew this full well. So Elsie was playing a trick on me to deliberately get me into trouble! LOL!

All great fun. Elsie is actually lovely and loves to have a good gut laugh every day.

Elsie sounds like my kind of woman.

[Artangel]

I think we need to look at this from both sides.

I talk to lots of people and give them lots of time but l don’t think it’s fair when a stranger takes advantage of your good nature and talks incessantly without a break for over an hour.

Surely a conversation is a type of ‘contract’ where two people should interact with each other on a bit of an equal basis?

The woman who spoke to me at the bus stop and then left her home town to continue her story to me on the bus about her ex husband and her son was a bit much.

I had no input in the conversation and if l did, she wasn’t interested and carried on with her own life story.

I think those who think we are mean, should look at both sides and have some sympathy for both.

[Harbal]

@Bratti

Haha. Love it. Lol. We are more alike than I realized.

It’s unusual for anyone to admit they have something in common with me, Bratti.

[Bratti]

@Harbal

It’s unusual for anyone to admit they have something in common with me, Bratti.

Yeah but I’m a little unusual. :-p

[Harbal]

@Psmith

But it’s important to remember,as Oscar Wilde once said,“Everybody needs good neighbours,they should be there for one another and that’s when neighbours become good friends”

I never knew Oscar wrote soap themes, Psmith.

[Harbal]

@susan m

As she started I looked blankly at her and mouthed
" sorry I’m deaf "

It worked

I wouldn’t have the nerve to try that, susan, well done.

[Harbal]

@keezoy

I believe you can learn something from everybody you meet.

Like learning to avoid them.

[Harbal]

@Pixie Knuckles

when they start talking about people I don’t know, who are ill or have passed away, that annoys me.

I know exactly what you mean. Why do people do that?

[UkGameCoder]

@Artangel

The woman who spoke to me at the bus stop and then left her home town to continue her story to me on the bus about her ex husband and her son was a bit much.

I had no input in the conversation and if l did, she wasn’t interested and carried on with her own life story.

I think those who think we are mean, should look at both sides and have some sympathy for both.

Sounds like you were being really nice. Obviously the lady in question perceived this. So good on you, Artangel!

[Harbal]

@Twink55

Lots of people have mental health problems & I suspect that loneliness causes many of them.

I appreciate that many of you are joking on this thread, but if I was looking at this forum in the hope of finding friends to talk to, as I was lonely, comments on here would make me look elsewhere.

But if you had mental health problems, would you want a load of useless advise from people not qualified to give it?

[Harbal]

@Bratti

Yeah but I’m a little unusual. :-p

We probably have more in common than you think then, Bratti.

[Twink55]

@Artangel

I think we need to look at this from both sides.

I talk to lots of people and give them lots of time but l don’t think it’s fair when a stranger takes advantage of your good nature and talks incessantly without a break for over an hour.

Surely a conversation is a type of ‘contract’ where two people should interact with each other on a bit of an equal basis?

The woman who spoke to me at the bus stop and then left her home town to continue her story to me on the bus about her ex husband and her son was a bit much.

I had no input in the conversation and if l did, she wasn’t interested and carried on with her own life story.

I think those who think we are mean, should look at both sides and have some sympathy for both.

Art i agree that you have to consider both people, but when you know there will always be people who can’t stop talking I would always find a gentle way to stop the conversation on a bus, or go by car next time!
Try keeping a small book in your handbag, and when they won’t stop talking say " Sorry I need to finish my book as the friend I am meeting wants it back today". It is only a small fib & shouldn’t hurt the other persons feelings.

[Harbal]

@Twink55

Try keeping a small book in your handbag, and when they won’t stop talking say " Sorry I need to finish my book as the friend I am meeting wants it back today". It is only a small fib & shouldn’t hurt the other persons feelings.

Is it feasible to keep an item in your handbag to help you deal with each and every conceivable unwelcome situation that might arise while you are out and about?

[Twink55]

@Harbal

But if you had mental health problems, would you want a load of useless advise from people not qualified to give it?

Lonely people are rarely looking for advice, they just want somebody to talk to!
By the time it becomes a mental health problem the qualified people they should talk to also have too little time.
All I am suggesting is that loneliness can be prevented from becoming a mental health problem if people spared a little time for those want to talk.
In hospital a few years ago the only other patient in my section was a lady with dementia, who had broken her hip & wanted to talk, so I talked to her for a couple of hours about things she remembered from the 50s & 60s. None of us know, but we could be in the same position one day, & would we want to be ignored?

[UkGameCoder]

@Twink55

Lonely people are rarely looking for advice, they just want somebody to talk to!
By the time it becomes a mental health problem the qualified people they should talk to also have too little time.
All I am suggesting is that loneliness can be prevented from becoming a mental health problem if people spared a little time for those want to talk.
In hospital a few years ago the only other patient in my section was a lady with dementia, who had broken her hip & wanted to talk, so I talked to her for a couple of hours about things she remembered from the 50s & 60s. None of us know, but we could be in the same position one day, & would we want to be ignored?

Lovely post, Twink! :-)

[Twink55]

@Harbal

Is it feasible to keep an item in your handbag to help you deal with each and every conceivable unwelcome situation that might arise while you are out and about?

Harbal, if you want an argument or are trying to wind me up you are wasting your time because I walk away from those situations.
Anyway women have such large handbags these days, they could probably carry more than you would know!

[Harbal]

@Twink55

Lonely people are rarely looking for advice,

That doesn’t stop people from giving it.

[Twink55]

@UkGameCoder

Lovely post, Twink! :-)

Thank you.

[Harbal]

@Twink55

Harbal, if you want an argument or are trying to wind me up you are wasting your time because I walk away from those situations.

Don’t worry about that, Twinkle, I’ve got loads of time since I retired.