You’ve met them:  The people who work with the public, who can’t respond to a simple inquiry without engaging the person who makes the inquiry. By “engaging,” I mean starting a conversation. These are usually the owners of small businesses — which I support completely — and salespersons working on a commission basis.  They have little control over their situations.  They need the business, and the bottom line is better if they can make us feel attractive or intelligent. This makes me uncomfortable.  I don’t have much of a social life to start with, and I feel suspicious when someone … Continue reading In my Defense, the Situation had Been Awkward for Years