@Maya54 yes, even if it is a close friend or family member. I take orders from very few people.
Usually, though, if it is a close friend or family member I will have an inkling of what it is about. I will know when someone’s birthday is coming up and I will usually know if someone is seriously ill.
If it is to give bad news or something all they need to say is I have some news I need to give you that is better in person or over a phone call instead of via text or VM.
All I ask is that they take some personal responsiblity instead of acting like there is some deep dark secret only they know and they are expecting me to do the heavy lifting to find out what it is.
I have several peers who seem inept at getting their text messages. They are constantly saying they don’t get them, yet when I’m with them, they are constantly checking their phones. And In case you think they are ignoring me, there are plenty of times they get my texts and respond, as well as plenty of times they claim they don’t get other people’s texts. It’s almost always the phones fault, but I don’t believe it. I think they don’t know how to read the red ballon indicating a text message (if they didn’t hear the notification), and then they receive so many more texts that the unread text gets buried.
Also hate when a text falls into a big black hole. If you don’t have your read receipts on, have the courtesy to acknowledge a text in some way, even if it’s just an emoji. I can’t see your head shake when you read it.
The only calls I’ll return without a VM are from my husband and daughter. Husband will usually hang up and text if I don’t answer, but D usually leaves a message. If she didn’t I would call her. We have other family members notorious for butt dialing.
@FlyMeToTheMoon - I agree that acknowledging receiving a text is helpful. But my DH HATES it if I respond with “oK” or something similar. He considers it unnecessary (I thunk he considers it annoying, but he doesn’t word it that way).
“But my DH HATES it if I respond with “oK” or something similar. He considers it unnecessary (I thunk he considers it annoying, but he doesn’t word it that way).”
Isn’t that what the thumbs up is for? Or does he hate that too?
I have a best friend and we talk by phone multiple times per day, almost every day. And have done so for ( gulp) 46 years! She doesn’t need to tell me why she wants me to give her a call ( it’s probably to discuss an episode of whatever tv show we are both binge watching )
My office phone sometimes drives me nuts. It is set up so every missed call (spam call) registers as an empty voice mail. Ugh. Have to check my voice mail to clear those zero second messages out.
‘reaching out’ - I use that term on occasion to indicate that I will make contact regarding whatever. I will tell person A that I will reach out to person B. I might discuss the topic when I see them in person, or make a call, send a text or email. Person A only know that I will make the contact by ‘reaching out’.
@maya54 - if we do a family group text I will sometimes put the thumbs up or heart thing on the text (one DS does as well, or he’ll use the “haha” one too) but if its just between me and DH he really prefers I not do that. Every notification comes to his phone and his watch and he doesn’t need/want that.
I could write a book on hubby!!! But I’ll leave it at NEVER loading the dishwasher and NEVER putting the lid back on the toothpaste so the top always gets all gunky. Gross!!!
Work…the girl behind me hums/sings/talks ALL DAY LONG. Like - reads her email out loud and dictates her response out loud. Drives me crazy. And earbuds give me a headache. Need to invest in headphones!
So very, very many things…
But right now? The chirping smoke detector that I’m too short to reach, even w/ the step stool. No one else is home. I married that 6ft 6in hulking dude for this exact reason!! I may have to leave for the rest of the day. Sigh
My DH spends most his his day, grunting (throat clearing), or humming; I hear him all through the house. It drives me out of my mind, especially when he grunts and hums his way through a meal!
When passers-by look right through me, as if I’m invisible, when I say ‘good morning’.
When my kids don’t respond to my calls / texts within the same week (seriously!) - I’m still paying the bills, at least they can respond to me!!!
If you have a person who constantly clear their throat, it can be a sign of reflux. My husband did this constantly. Once he started taking an acid reducer and lost weight, the throat clearing went away. When it starts up again, it’s because he’s been eating poorly and not taking his medicine.
^or allergies. I was an evil throat clearer and cougher when I worked in ABQ. Cleared up after allergy shots and Singulair which was a miracle drug for me.
My husband never commented on that, but he hated my sneezes. Fortunately for him, they are few and far between now also.
I’m going to have to give my D a heads up - she hums whenever she’s happy, which is most of the time. She’s totally unaware she’s doing it. She’s been like that she was a toddler. As her mother, I love it as I know she’s content, but I could see where that could get super annoying for others.
@momofsenior1 HR at my company once had to get involved with a whistler/hummer. It becomes a hard habit to break. But it’s so annoying to so many people! You will be doing her a great favor to call her out on it.
