i live in a rural community where you always are running into someone that you know. i have two situations
1- i see someone from school that i know but was not friends with but i know their name or face
2- i see someone i hung out with in school but we did not stay friends after graduation
sometimes i say hi or i don't say anything because i normally don't recall names just faces. i know folks remember me but if they don't say anything neither do i.
i know that is rude but i have no idea what to say. i don't want to tell them my buisness but i do think i should say hello or something. what is the polite thing to do?
2007-01-21 08:51:30 · 9 answers · asked by kdf_333 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
i tend not to lie so i am not going to say i have somewhere to go if i don't. i normally see folks at work or at the store.
and really, to me it's great to see you is a lie and it would sound so fake coming from me. i could not care one way or the other. the folks it is grat to see i know what to say to them.
2007-01-21 09:21:28 · update #1
I say hi to everyone but don't go into detail with many as I am not sure if they remember me. I do realize that the "ones you weren't friends with" really doesn't matter as you age, people are just happy to make connections. The clics and things just don't exist after High School.
2007-01-21 08:59:50 · answer #1 · answered by livegrace 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think a smile and a polite nod to acknowledge acquaintances is appropriate. if they try to engage you further than that and you aren't interested in carrying on a conversation with them, simply say something like "its great to see you're doing well" or "nice bumping into you" and follow with a simple "I've got to rush back to work or home or appointment" no hurt feelings and you aren't wasting a bunch of time on people that you dont care about. as far as the name thing goes, dont try to pretend that you remember it if you dont [that almost always backfires] just be direct, apologize and say that you are horrible at remembering names. most people will be impressed that you're being forthright. of course, it might be uncomfortable if you actually spent time with the person but thats the way life goes....
2007-01-21 17:04:31 · answer #2 · answered by info seeker 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have been out of school a long time. The guys have lost their hair and found bellies. The girls all seem to blondes,the shade of old linen. Everyone seems to suffer from erosion and gravity. So since it is nearly impossible to know if we were friends or even really knew each other; the simplest thing to do is paste a big smile on your face and tell them how good it is to see them Of course mention how wonderful it is to see how little they have changed.
2007-01-21 17:04:07 · answer #3 · answered by Bonnie K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, I won't be seeing people from my school since I'm a million miles away from them. But if by chance I would see them it will be a great surprise and for sure I will be happy to greet them and say hi or hello.
2007-01-21 17:30:52 · answer #4 · answered by linda c 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most of the time, if I don't know their name, I will say "Didn't you used to go to_______ high school? If I do know their name I will say Hi, how's everything going, and we might chit chat about how our children are doing and what not.
2007-01-21 17:13:25 · answer #5 · answered by Tonya W 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I tend to pretend that i don't know the person if i only remember them vaguely, if they were good frineds of mine then i take a minute to catch up with them.
2007-01-25 10:45:34 · answer #6 · answered by **brainy licious**J;-D 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I usually give them a hug and ask how they been
2007-01-21 17:05:27 · answer #7 · answered by sunflare63 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say hello and how are you to either party.
2007-01-21 17:01:17 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
just say HI...
2007-01-21 17:20:11 · answer #9 · answered by bjg2007 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋