Greetings, Miss Manners Many retirees reside in the five-story condominium complex where I live. I have a lot of vacation days because I have worked at the same company for more than 20 years. I usually only take a day off here and there rather than a week or two at a time.
This is beyond the comprehension of my neighbors. Oh, do you work every day? is a question I’ve been asked a lot. Are Fridays off for you? How come you’re not at work? They’re indicating that I’m doing something incorrectly and that my schedule is their concern, which really irritates me.
There are still some older busybodies about, but the majority of the old-timers have moved out since I moved here. They appear to have a propensity to meddle with others and suffer from groupthink.
They are also completely unaware. They are completely unaware that they may be disturbing others by asking such queries. Goodness, I wouldn’t necessarily want people to know if I was home due to illness or some other personal reason!
In order to avoid encountering these individuals, I occasionally even down the stairway and use alternate routes.
Stories by
Judith Martin
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Miss Manners: Why do strangers insist on telling me detailed stories about how their pets died?
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Miss Manners: Not every message on a t-shirt deserves your attention or response
PERSONAL READER: Are these individuals unaware of remote work?
Miss Manners doesn’t think a committed busybody would be deterred by hearing that reason, or any other. Unfortunately, they only want to talk for a little while.
it does not require you to supply it. Ignore the inquiries and shout a warm hello: “Hello, Mrs. Erskine!” Good morning, Mr. Lumpkin! — and continue to move.
Miss Manners can be reached by email at [email protected], via her website at www.missmanners.com, or by mail at Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
