Now I’m used to rejection from publishers and writerly competitions but nothing quite cut to the bone as the rejection I experienced last Saturday.
Walking into town I spotted one of my elderly neighbours coming the other way. She saw me too – she stopped, looked straight at me but before I could wave to her she crossed the road – risking traffic.
Once she got to the other side, she walked head down very fast and away from me.
I’m a little torn as to what I’ve done to cause such a reaction. We normally say hello to each other in passing! So her behaviour was very odd!
I look to Charlie but he’s as lost as I am as to the whys.
Oh dear!
Charlie says: I look up at the gathering rain clouds.
Oh well! Roll on May!
90 comments:
Oh, that must have hurt. Maybe she was just having a bad day or in a rush to get somewhere. Plus there is the possibility she didn't have her glasses on and didn't really "see" you.
I wouldn't take it personally if you alway say, hi to each other.
And you have all these fabulous bloggie friends who love you and Charlie!
Love Charlie's intelligent look of er... observing the clouds?
I must say, your neighbourbis elderly, sometimes her sight may be a problem? People used to say I just look through them like they are invisible but the fact is I couldn't see their faces clear enough for identification!
Don't worry about it dear... Just say hello next time you see her... within a good distance, of course.
Love ya! Watch out for a package on its way to you!
That's hard. Keep in mind especially if she's elderly that it may have nothing to do with you. She could be suffering from something like dementia or a mini stroke that's affecting her behavior. But that's a hard situation to be on the other end of.
That is quite odd, though personally I've spent years trying to get people to react that way towards me. I guess if she's your neighbour it's probably not too difficult to find her and see what's up.
Well goodness Kitty, how baffling! I can't even imagine anyone avoiding you. Perhaps if you see her in the neighborhood you could ask her if you've done anything to hurt her feelings...
I'm so sorry...
huh - some times there is no predicting others.....
What you looking at Charlie?
Well, Old Kitty, that was a strange situation with your neighbor. Maybe she couldn't really tell it was you.
Maybe she forgot something and decided she need to go the other direction instead of the way she was originally headed toward you.
You're too nice to be rejected.
I can't imagine knowing you as I do, you doing ANYTHING unkind to ANYONE that would cause such a reaction.
Is it possible that maybe SHE has something wrong or was having a bad day and was afraid she may have to exchange niceties?
Sometimes it is the other people who just feel unable to smile when things are wrong. I bet it had nothing to do with you.
Charlie is looking as handsome as ever!
xoxoxo
Well that was a strange situation with your neighbor, Old Kitty.
Maybe that she really couldn't tell it was you and had decided she needed to go the other direction.
Charlie, if you find the answer up there, you let us know. What a special boy you are.
When that happens we react exactly as you are. "What did I do?" Is she older? Perhaps she's getting a little feeble. It often begins early.It never feels good to have someone avoid us.
Kitty, sometimes you just can't figure people out. I'm sure it was her and not you.
Maybe Charlie dazzled her and she didn't know how to respond!
That would be most disconcerting. Perhaps you can send her a note?
I hope Charlie didn't get wet!
Guilty conscience, that's what it sounds like to us.
That is odd! But it might not be you... it might be her.
I'd tell you not to take it personally, but since that's just what I do, I can't very well tell you not to.
That's upsetting! And very odd. She must have been having a horrible day!
Huge sigh, here. What a shame to waste that moment when you could have shared a greeting and maybe a kindness.
Charlie would never do that sort of thing, I'm sure. Why are humans so dumb?
Oh dear, I think I nknow what might have caused that reaction from your "elderly" neighbor... it's called Alzheimers!
Charlie is extremely sweet as always :)
I'm guessing it has nothing to do with you, Jennifer. She probably was having a bad day and didn't want to talk to anyone. I know I've avoided people when I don't want to answer the question "how are you?" I'm fairly honest and I might tell you exactly how my day has been...It might be TMI for whoever asked...
I'm positive it had nothing to do with you!!!
Who knows what goes through the mind of sum hoomans! We would definitely cross the street to say "hi"! Happy Monday.
Neighbours can be tricky. Maybe she didn't quite recognise you, I know I can be in a bit of a dreamworld sometimes and can walk past people without realising. Charlie is looking very dramatic in the pic:)
My best advice is to not make that rude woman's problem yours. You can't control her or her problem but you are in control of how you react and in this case I would ignore her. You are to blessed to be stressed! And loved!
How painful! Especially because you have no idea why this neighbor did this. But maybe it wasn't intentional toward you? I say this because I can be so spacey that once I offended a friend by (she swears) looking right at her and then kept going as if I were mad at her. But in reality I was so buried in my own head I saw only my thoughts. So apologies all around were proffered and we were pals again.
I hope the same good ending happens for you, Kitty dear.
Oh how weird!
Baffling when people behave like that isn't it x
Elderly neighbour? Should give her the benefit of doubt, Charlie. Dementia may have crept in. Purrs!
Awww, poor you! I'm sure she had some urgent place to be. Couldn't possibly be you!
Charlie looking up--getting to see him at a new angle.
Oh no! I wonder what is going on with her? That is very strange behavior, indeed.
Oh, not nice! How about a little note card in her mailbox, asking if everything is okay and if you've done anything to offend? How odd, though. Even if someone is p*ssed off at you, usually they'll paste a smile on their face and be civil. (Meanwhile cursing you under their breath. LOL. Okay, okay, that's what I do.)
Was your neighbour's bag filled with gin bottles?? Or maybe she hadn't got her false teeth in. How curious.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
That is never fun when people act odd and we don't know why. Maybe she was just having a bad day or forgot to brush her teeth. :-) I know it wasn't our cheerful Old Kitty! So sorry that happened. HUGS to you!
OMGosh, I would feel awful too!
I have learned to remind myself that people do things because of their own personality issues and not just in response to me even if it looks that way.
I'm sure Charlie would agree with mne that it could be that this lady has had some difficult news and doesn't want anyone she knows knowing about it just yet, until she can handle it herself. Reassuring Hugs to a lovely lady x
We have to hope that maybe she was sad or not wanting to confront anyone--and that it had nothing to do with you.
Nownyou know himans, sometimes there is just no explaining their actions!
That is very sad. Perhaps something very embarrassing happened in her life and she thinks you know and she doesn't want to talk about it. Perhaps?
aw. That's weird! Maybe she's going senile?
Don't you worry about that person. Just keep doing your thing. Life is too short to be wasting emotion on people you probably don't need in your life anyway!
Whoa that was a a bit weird. Maybe she didn't recognize you.
Oh, no. That's terrible behavior! It's her loss, though, Kitty. We all know how wonderful you are!! :)
I find it extremely odd when that happens. Best not to dwell on it.
Don't take it personally, OC. I doubt if it's about you. She must have developed a gigantic pimple or some blemish, had a bad case of the runs and couldn't stop to chat, or who knows what. But what a great writing prompt for a short story. You can take it wherever your imaginations wants to go!
You're one of the friendliest people I know (in Blogsville and I'm sure in person, too), so I'm sure it's nothing you did. Take care!
Sorry to hear about your experience - but my advice is proceed with caution ... I once considered myself snubbed by a neighbour, agonised about it for days and finally popped round to have it out with her - only to find she'd been in the South of France for a month ... Should've gone to Specsavers (or any old optician, really ...) Great pic of Charlie :-)
Oh dear. Maybe she mistook you for someone else? Or suspects Charlie of committing an indiscretion in her garden? (Surely not!) Or perhaps she's an MI6 agent and she has her eye on you?
Do let us know if you find out what's bugging her!
That really hurts when someone treats you that way, but it is important to forgive. There's no telling what may have entered her mind, and perhaps it had nothing to do with you. Wouldn't it be nice to be like Charlie and just watch the clouds without worrying about what other people think?
How strange?
We have strange neighbors too...but we'll spare you the details. :)
We are guessing either bad day or near sightedness. Glogirly has bad days every once in a while and near sightedness EVERY day.
; )
xo Katie & Glogirly
Oh my goodness... maybe your neighbour thought you were someone else? Maybe she was running away from someone behind you? Maybe she recently harvested a whole bunch of fruit from her garden and gave them away to her neighbours, but felt guilty for not giving you any...?
Hugs.
That is strange. Perhaps she was just having a bad day or wasn't in the mood to talk?
Wow, that's something you expect a middle grader or teen to do, not a senior.
Maybe she wasn't looking at you. Maybe she was looking through you because her thoughts were on something else.
Either way, I'd feel hurt too if that happened to me.
Hey Old Kitty,
Perhaps she didn't like having spots put on her. Sorry, ignore that.
Seriously, it might not have been anything you may or may not have done. Perhaps she was distressed over something that had happened to her and didn't want to worry you.
Sadly, if this be true, it had the opposite affect on you.
Smile and it shall pass.
In kindness, Gary
x
How bizarre...it would be different if you weren't on reasonably friendly terms before. Maybe she had a gift for you in her bag and didn't want you to know?
Cool pic of Charlie...did it rain?
Why that's odd.
Maybe her eyesight is bad and she didn't realize it was you and confused you with someone else?
Hello handsome Charlie.
purrs
>^,,^<
♥Abby♥Boo♥Ping♥Jinx♥Grace♥
Did she maybe get one of the wayward e-mails? It is so hard to let things like that not get to us. Know that you are loved and held dear, here in BloggyLand!
Dazzled by your effulgent brilliance, I'll bet ...
Maybe she wasn't in the mood to talk. I have bad days when I avoid most people. She may also be getting senile.
Hope some of the suggestions here are a bit of a comfort. Jan has been known to be in "another world" (she calls it thinking) on our walks and not notice anyone around.
Oh no! Maybe she let her dog poo in your yard and she's embarrassed? Or has done something unusual to you she thinks you know about? Or maybe she's just confused. She couldn't possibly mean it!
Thanks for the kind words you left on my blog! Have a great week.
Thanks so much for the birthday wishes!!!
XOXO
Maya and Chevelle
Maybe she thought you were someone else? If you usually say hello and there's been no bad feeling between you then it's an odd reaction. Perhaps ask her next time you see her, she might be mortified that it's made you think she was avoiding you!
I wouldn't take it personally - you never know what was going on with her. She could have been upset about something and did not want you to see. Wishing you and Charlie a very Happy May Day!
I agree with Sharon - she may have been having a bad day and couldn't cope with speaking to anyone, but had to go out to the shops. I bet it was 'nothing personal' at all.
I agree with Sharon - she may have been having a bad day and couldn't cope with speaking to anyone, but had to go out to the shops. I bet it was 'nothing personal' at all.
That's really strange about what happened with your neighbor. Maybe she was having a bad day or something...
Charlie, let us know if you find the answer up there, okay?
Aw...knock on her door and give her a bouquet of flowers. Melt away her mean spirit! :)
Weird? Maybe she was a having a bad day? Hadn't showered? Had a an unsightly chin hair??? I'm sure it wasn't you!
Not a nice lady!
I'm sorry, but I couldn't help laughing, because I had a similar experience with my downstairs neighbour recently. Normally they're very friendly, but not this time! REJECTION!
Hi Old Kitty - what extraordinary behaviour .. I'd give it time and see what happens .. or drop her a note - with some pretty flowers on it to remind her there is sun at the end of the rain tunnel.
Hope it all ends well .. cheers Hilary
That is very strange.....some people if they are upset it something avoid others rather than risking having to have a conversation... I know it is hard, but try not to let it get u down
Ooo, this situation would bother me, too. But I agree with what a lot of people wrote here--that she must have been distracted or having a bad day. If she acts this way again, I'd probably approach her in the usual friendly way and ask if all is well.
That is very strange. Maybe she didn't realize that it was you. Who knows. I sure wouldn't worry about it. It sure isn't anything you have done. Take care.
How strange. Can only think she either didn't recognise you or was confused in some way and mistook you for someone else.
That is really strange. Maybe she was in a hurry and didn't want to hurt your feelings? I'm sure it wasn't anything to do with you.
Hugs,
~Jamie
Odd! Is there any chance that neighbor was on your email list and that this is somehow related to the hacking incident? I like the idea of a card in the mailbox...or how about stopping by and asking her? It might be something as silly as, she wasn't wearing her good glasses that day.
WOW, strange, what ever happened to Love Thy Neighbor~
xxoo
Deborah
Charlie, nothing but rain across the pond.
Our local vicar does the same to me, so why should you worry :-) Yep, he does, he does a u turn when he see's me... complete nutter :-) HIM... Not me :-).... well, I might be...
Charlie your a star so shine bright and hum... might rain tomorrow, but not down here... cos.... the sky tells us so :-) No wonder the vicar does a u turn....Enjoy the sun while you can :-) x x x x
Our local vicar does a u turn on me.. :-) x x x
I am not going to type this a fourth time blogger.... ggrrrr CHARLIE ... pounce !
That's weird. I'm going to say that it's because she's old and wasn't in the right state of mind.
Hmm, I think Charlie's not lost to the whys; he simply couldn't care less. And he's right!
No say hello? Oh well... she must have had her own reasons. It's not a tragedy all in all, right. Is it?
It is??
Oh...
Hmmmmmm, maybe she was in the dumps and just did not want to talk.
Some days we have bad days.
And sometimes when we're out and about, we're oblivious to the people around us.
Have you found out why your neighbor snubbed you? Perhaps she was having a bad day and just didn't feel like talking to anyone? Maybe if you bring her a little bouquet of flowers that will cheer her up.
Charlie is so adorably photogenic!
Au and Target may have a point there...hm....
Just wanted to stop by and say hello. I hope it all works out. Charlie is still adorable. It's awesome to be able to visit peoples blogs again!
I love that Charlie!!!
I let a little old lady cross in front of me in the Wally World parkin' lot.
She got right in the middle, turned toward me and gave me the finger. The finger I tell ya....I was flabbergasted!!!
Who knows..... Heeehehehe!
God bless ya and have a fantastic weekend sweetie!!! :o)
Huh, now that is peculiar. But maybe nature was calling or something like that. One just never knows about these types of things.
Smooch for Charlie. :)
It's her, not you. She's the one who avoided you. (What's she hiding?) She's the one who couldn't look you in the eye. (Why is she avoiding it?) She's the one who can't face something inside of her. I have had to say this line over and over, "It's them, not me."
Keep doing what you do. Sometimes, people can't bear to be in our light.
Play off the Page
who knows what she has going on - more likely to be that than because of you... keep smiling and greeting. thanks for visiting us, we loved it that you came. Love Helen, Darcy and Bingley xxx
Maybe she has forgetful memory and took you for someone else?
Adorable Charlie!
How hurtful!
She shouldn't treat you like that, however she feels.
Ouch, maybe she was having a bad day and just did not want to talk to anyone. Please come on over for a cup of tea and dessert.
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