-- Modified on 2/23/2004 8:04:44 AM

And I was laying down here just thinking about the complexities of language, and how we express ourselves. Sometimes when I write I get feedback that I am harsh, however in previous jobs I would have been fired for buffering statements with adjectives. When I speak to people directly, sometimes they don't hear clearly what I say, and overlay what they want to hear. For example: I always order a large X beverage w/o Y. Everyone else orders it small w/Y. Guess what, I end up getting that even though I pay extra. I've tried phoning it in. That doesn't work either. Neural networks and habituation aside, it sucks because now I just go and buy X inferior product from another store because at least their is certainty. Bottomline: don't sweat it, people hear what they want to hear. Don't worry too much about the fallout, explain when appropriate, but keep doing what you do, because *you* do it so well m'dear.

I agree with NetMichelle. Too often we "hear" [or see] what we expect or wnt to hear [or see] not what is actually said. {We especially ignore or neglect to hear the tone of something.] For example, the other day I went to a new dry cleaner's and the clerk was using  what looked like a computer to take down info[ex name]When he asked for my phone number, I angrily asked him why he needed that, because I am suspicious of businesses that collect unneeded stuff. Then, embaressed, I realized that if he had been filling out a dry cleaning slip, as is usually done, I wouldn't have hesitated because the phone number is to contact the customer should there be a problem or uncollected dry cleaning. I appologized and felt quite foolish for acting on pet [somewhat justified, IMO]annoyance without thinking. I also agree with netMichelle: "keep doing what you do, because *you* do it so well m'dear." Have you ever thought about getting TER to offer a weekly "Dear Sadonna" column? [With appropriate compensation for you, of course.}