It isn't personal.

I keep reminding myself of this. Some people are just rude by nature, or have a way of speaking that’s blunt and to the point to the point of rudeness. Sucks to be them, and I shouldn’t let it bother me.

Still, I find it bizarre that people feel the need to make off-the-cuff personal remarks. Really, the colleague I’m talking about is hardly a spring chicken and should know better than to make some of the comments she does.

The particular sin of mine that brought on her ire was the fact that I occasionally talk softly to myself as I’m completing tasks. For example, I might say quietly “Let’s see, I need to call so and so in the other office now.” Yesterday, out of nowhere, she said in an exasperated voice “Why do you always SAY OUT LOUD what you’re going to do? I don’t care what you’re doing!” I just looked at her in surprise. First, I don’t “always” do this–it’s not like I have Tourette’s or something. Second, how could anyone get wound up over something like this? There are real problems out there, after all. People who talk to themselves as they work aren’t one of them.

OK. Perhaps I AM annoying. I'm willing to accept that. She could, if the spirit moved her, have said politely “Hey, I apologize for butting in, but I find that habit a bit distracting.” Acknowledging that it’s her problem, not mine, would have gone a long way. But instead she chose to to treat me like a freak. I had enough of that in junior high school, thank you very much. And if you can’t ask politely, ask the boss to move your desk instead.