Keeping foot out of mouth

**fixthecopier** · 07-31-2017

About a month or so ago, I had a call at a place where one of the girls who works there is a friend of mine and my wife's. Had not seen her in a while and I noticed that she looked like she was getting a bit of a stomach on her. The thought that she was with child entered my mind. Common sense told me to keep my mouth shut, which I did. Last week I saw her again and when she said something about feeling a little sick that morning I almost ask. Seconds later she made mention that she was not having a baby. Glad I kept my mouth shut.

Just last week I was at a customers office. She is one of those people that you can't look at and tell her age. Just not sure. I had assumed she was close to me, give or take 5 years. At one point an older man stepped in to ask her something. After he left, she told me it was her father. What popped into my head was "I would not have guessed he was old enough to be your father". What I said was nothing.

Last Friday I was at a location talking about the old HP lj4+ I had just picked up. I commented That it would probably remain on my table until some old retired Sargent Major comes in looking for one like he used to have. As it would turn out, the other guy in the room was an old retired Sargent Major. How old? We have the same birthday, this Saturday. He is a year younger than me.

Today was one of our new salespersons birthday. We celebrate birthdays at work. I had assumed she was older than me, when I saw the sticker on her shirt showing that she was 1 year younger than myself, I was glad I have learned to keep my thoughts to myself in my older years.

**blackcat4866** · 08-01-2017

It has taken a long time, but I seem to have built up a vocabulary of innocuous statements with no real meaning. Useful in every situation and not likely to offend anyone.

Good work. Saying less is always better than saying more.

Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one, and nobody wants to see yours. =^..^=

**Ctl-Alt-Del** · 08-01-2017

Originally Posted by blackcat4866

Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one, and nobody wants to see yours. =^..^=

Opinions are like feet, most people have two of them and they both stink.

**fixthecopier** · 08-01-2017

Originally Posted by blackcat4866

It has taken a long time, but I seem to have built up a vocabulary of innocuous statements with no real meaning. Useful in every situation and not likely to offend anyone.

Good work. Saying less is always better than saying more.

Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one, and nobody wants to see yours. =^..^=

You are correct. I have seen some techs invite themselves into a customer's conversation. I assume I am there to fix something and the same rules apply on site as at the house...Don't speak unless being spoke to.

As for the baby thing, she would have had to be holding the baby in her arms and I would have still ask who's baby it was. Seen way too many guys step in that one.

**jonhiker** · 08-01-2017

Blackcat states the obvious. I have learned to do my repair quietly and speak only when spoken to.

**theengel** · 08-01-2017

Keep your head down, eyes on your work, and mouth shut. That's how I always try to play it. EVERY time I don't follow those rules, my foot goes right in my mouth.

The worst is working around a group of women. I would swear, by the conversations I 'overhear,' that they're trying to embarrass me. I remember one group of girls go around the room describing what kind of underwear they had on. I'm sure my face was beet red the whole time, but I didn't utter a single word.

**gneebore** · 08-01-2017

Originally Posted by theengel

Keep your head down, eyes on your work, and mouth shut. That's how I always try to play it. EVERY time I don't follow those rules, my foot goes right in my mouth.

The worst is working around a group of women. I would swear, by the conversations I 'overhear,' that they're trying to embarrass me. I remember one group of girls go around the room describing what kind of underwear they had on. I'm sure my face was beet red the whole time, but I didn't utter a single word.

When I first started working on office equipment there was a secretary that deliberately did whatever she could to embarrass a tech. Her favorite trick was to ask, in a nice stage voice on the other side of the divider, another secretary if she had seen the new hot tech the people sent to fix the copier, typewriter, or whatever. Problem was she did it with me. And just by coincidence the other secretary was my sister. My sister has the same devious and warped sense of humor as I do. She answered yes I know he is kind of good looking but he's even better looking getting out of the shower in the morning wearing nothing but a towel. The game was up when everyone started laughing at her. especially when I got up walked around and told my sister "I'm telling mom you picked on me again"