Author: Claudia

Here is a ‘skill’ no one should have: the ability to casually steamroll you into doing things you don’t want to do. All, while your ear is being chewed off, in a conversation you never wanted to have in the first place…

Dogs need to socialize, and I would never deny Lilly the opportunity to meet other dogs or to interact with them. Regrettably, most often that involves small talk on my part as well. This annoying, useless chit-chat is something, I could very happily continue living without. Especially, when some pushy broad tries to force friendship on me…
Yesterday morning Lilly and I made our way back home, when all of a sudden I hear a lady yell “Is that a poodle”? She comes storming out of her house towards us, all wound up, asking yet again if Lilly is a poodle. I told her, that she’s a poodle mix and wanted to be on my way. But that woman started yapping…and yapping, seemingly not even stopping to take a breath. No chance for me to cut her off and get the fluff ‘out of Dodge’. Hell on earth, she was at it without end in sight. And what do you know? Right quick she started in on me, like: “hey, give me your phone number, so we can hook up for joined walks with the dogs”. As it turned out right then she has a little poodle, who came running out into the street. That explained the woman’s excitement, but not her intrusive behavior towards me. I should have communicated clearly and honestly, that I’m not interested at the minute, not after having just met. But instead? Being incredibly overwhelmed and annoyed by this woman, I wanted to get away ASAP without being rude. I definitely did not want to give her my number and have her call, or text me frequently. Yet, it was the easiest, quickest way to get rid of her…In the end I figured that it’s easier to block her number upon my return home, rather than having to explain myself right then and there, dragging this conversation on even longer.
Gosh, darn it. I failed yet again, at setting boundaries for myself. It wasn’t up to that pushy broad, to notice my overwhelm or my unease in that situation. I should have put my foot down and told her off. And the fact, that she didn’t let me get a word in edgewise, is no excuse either. I’m to blame for being steamrolled by her, because I allowed for it to happen. Maybe next time I can manage to say ‘no’!?