too much information.....

For some strange reason, people have always seemed to feel comfortable enough around me to share their thoughts and problems with me. I've had countless employees come to me over my 20+ years in business and unload both their personal and work problems on me. I don't mind it. I appreciate the fact that they do feel comfortable enough to share with me. But when it gets to that TMI (too much information) phase of the conversation, I wish I had a subtle way of saying "No, eww, stop, right now!"

I'm walking into work yesterday morning and got to the elevator door at the same time as another lady. The conversation was the standard, "Hey, what floor", "'mornin'", "it's almost the weekend" kind of stuff. Then I mentioned the weather. My mistake, apparently.

She said: "Yeah, it's gonna' be sooo hot out there today."

I said: "That's just summertime in the South."

She: "Oh, I know, but it's just so miserable."

I: "Yes, you're right."

She: "But you know I have noticed that the older I get the less the heat effects me. I'm at the age where I get hot flashes, so I guess I'm more used to the heat."

I: uncomfortable chuckle "Have a good day!" And with that I turned the corner and got on another elevator.

Batman has always been my favorite superhero, but at that moment I wished I had Superman's power to make the globe spin backwards and go back in time so that I could have avoided this little conversation. All I could have done with Batman's utility belt would have been to grab something like the Bat-arang and bop her on the head. Just a tad less subtle.

OK, ladies, take it from me - men neither want nor need to hear about your hot flashes. We've got plenty going on in our lives. Unless you're married to us, and we understand that just goes with the territory. Then again maybe it's just me.....