You Want to Stomp on These Cans?
Communication breakdowns are, by far, the most frequent kind of breakdown plaguing my life. I think the same can be said of many people.
The incident inspiring this post happened to me last night at Whole Foods. I arrived 20 minutes before they closed, so I was already kinda flustered and moving quickly. I move to the checkout line, and the employee starts ringing up my food. Here is how the conversation went from my perspective:
Me: “Excuse me?”
Employee: “You want to stomp on these cans?”
Me: -blank stare-
Employee: “Your order, does it stop at these cans?”
Those types of events tend to be funnier than another type of communication breakdown that has been plaguing me lately. People always talk about how constructive criticism is, but even constructive criticism can be worthless. Take this example from my recent adventure to California. Someone was taking me to my hotel, and on the way, said:
What am I supposed to do with that piece of advice?! My management company pulled something similar on me the other day. My mom sent my lease to me (it sucks to need a cosigner), and I picked it up from the management office. When I opened the package and gave the lease to the management lady, she said:
Good call there. Why don’t I mail the lease back to my parents so they can send it to you this time. Grumble. I suppose there’s nothing to be done about these kinds of communication breakdowns.
The first type I mentioned is a bit trickier. I have pretty good hearing (I can hear a cell phone ringing across the room that is inside a purse buried under tons of things when the person sitting next to it doesn’t hear it), so I don’t think that’s really the issue. I think the problem lies in not expecting someone to say what they are about to say to you, and then your mind filling in the blanks with what seems logical at the time.
So the story from the start of this post makes sense (sort of). I was at a Whole Foods store. Whole Foods is about natural food, the environment, things like that. I recycle to help the environment. When I recycle cans, I crush them. So, it could potentially make sense for a Whole Foods employee to tell me to stomp on cans. Right?
Remember when you and Vince and Quinn and I went on a sorta double date to Grisanti’s? ; ) Well, because I’m not used to that sort of place, I just ordered my entree and thought it done. Then the waiter looks at me and says “Super Salad?” And I’m all “What?” And again “Super Salad?” and I’m still confused and then Quinn says “CHAIA! SOUP or SALAD?” and then I get it. Fun times. I definitely thought they just meant a really big salad up till that point.
Comment by Chaia — May 26, 2005 @ 6:24 pm