Ten Social Interactions

1. On Wednesday night I went to see the movie He’s Just Not That Into You with some friends. One of my friends Chris decided that he did not want to see a “chick flick.” He said they were sappy and boring. Although I strongly disagree I did not tell him he was wrong. I offered some examples of movies he thought were funny. I challenged him to sit through the movie and try to enjoy it. It turned out to be a fun night and Chris didn’t complain.


2. My boyfriend Ryan finally went to get a long over due hair cut. I often go with him to supervise the event. The regular woman that does his hair was not in on Wednesday afternoon. After he told her not to cut his hair too short she did what she wanted anyway. I did not criticize, condemn or complain and I reassured him that it would grow back in soon.


3. On Tuesday the UMBC softball team played George Washington. One of the freshmen grabbed the bucket of machine balls instead of the regular balls. I called attention to this indirectly by asking Brandon if coach wanted us to bring the machine balls instead of the regular ones. I did not give an order to switch buckets and insult her but instead suggested the switch indirectly.


4. During warm up drills on Tuesday, I heard Valerie talking about her dislike for another teammate. I then told Valerie that the girl she was trashing spoke highly about rooming with her over the weekend because she avoids gossip. This gave her a reputation that I hope she tries to live up to.


5. Jen has been having trouble hitting. She has been consistently striking out and her mental game is taking a hit. At her last at bat on Tuesday she struck out but fouled off two pitches. I made sure to point out that this was an improvement and that she is making connection, she was sure to hit it in play soon. That seemed to cheer her up.


6. We went to eat at Taco Bell following our games on Tuesday. The restaurant was short staffed and did not seem ready for the twenty-three people that walked in the door at once. Jeff, the man at the counter, looked overwhelmed. He accidentally overcharged me one apple empanada. I told him it wasn’t a problem because im sure my friend would like a dessert, besides it was only 89 cents. The fault was easy to correct.


7. Brittany is very protective of her things, specifically her milk. A friend came over and drank what was left of her milk. I thought her overreaction was really amusing but I sympathized with her and let her drink my milk.


8. Amanda was working at the UMBC bookstore. I walked up to her and asked how her day had been. I smiled, used her name and said I have a sister with the same name. She said she only had a brother and proceeded to talk about how annoying a younger brother could be. I took and interest and let her do most of the talking. I chimed in and said that I also have a younger brother. The conversation was pleasant and we parted ways.


9. Jeffrey is good with computers. I recently had to make a spreadsheet for a certain class and was a bit confused with excel. I went up to Jeff who is typically cocky and offers help while making you feel terrible. I praised him for his computer skills and appreciated his skills. After complimenting him he was happy to help me with my spreadsheet.


10. The softball booster club donated new travel gear for the team. I felt we should send them a thank you. I received some hesitation from some teammates as if I were too sentimental. I dramatized my idea by expressing how nice it is to be thanked for helping out others. I brought up creating an elaborate thank you video and had everybody laughing. After that it was simple getting people to sign a card.

Jeffrey is an early adopter. He currently has an LG Voyager from Verizon wireless. He uses his phone for text, picture, and video messaging. The touch screen is becoming more accepted in the cell phone market. It is in the process of crossing the chasm and entering the early majority. Jeffrey purchased this phone six months ago, which excludes him from the innovators. He bought this product early in the life cycle which makes his an early adopter. The touch screen is not yet completely accepted because its practicality is often questioned.