Ask Amy: Attention imbalance bothers grandchild
– Curious Colleague
Dear Curious: Don’t dodge. This is a natural instinct, but dodging just pushes this down the road.
If he brings up your marital status again, you could respond with the classic: “Why do you keep asking me this?”
Understand that when you do so, you open yourself up to his (possibly disingenuous) answer.
Regardless of how he responds, you should state: “That’s personal, and I don’t want to discuss it. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t bring this up again.”
Stating that this personal curiosity bothers you should end it.
He needs to back all the way off. If he persists after you ask him to stop, he cannot claim that these are stray remarks, and your co-worker is opening himself up to violating company policy and a possible harassment claim.
Dear Amy: My wife and I had a great laugh over “Baffled,” the man who shaved his beard off and then wondered what it meant when his wife didn’t notice.
I have had various beards and goatees over most of the 50 years of our marriage.
Every spring, I perform my annual “clean shave.” It has become a running joke how long it takes my wife and/or kids to notice.
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