There are two ways to go when you are faced with tactless people
You can get angry at them
Or you can be amused by them.
Luckily, I am generally amused by them.
Years ago, when I was a psychiatric nurse, I remember " observing" a teenage anorexic patient in her room.
The girl weighed only a matter of a few stone and was placed on 1 to1 observation
to prevent her injuring herself.
The girl was quietly reading a book, as I sat in the doorway, and as we sat there the domestic, a cheerful Caribbean mama ,was buffing up the wooden floor in the corridor.
As the domestic passed the doorway, she waved cheerfully at the young girl and sang out
a rather surprising greeting of " hello fatty"
a salutation that made the girl open her eyes as wide as a bushbaby
And made me almost choke to death laughing.
It's the verbal equivalent of a suicide bomber
Potentially dangerous psychologically
But incredibly funny
More recently, at work, a colleague that does not know me very well,
heard me talking about Chris. My conversation was pretty mundane and my co worker
Interrupted with no hint of self awareness
" Could I ask , in your relationship with Chris who plays the woman?"
The comment was so left field, that I promptly burst into laughter
But I did make sure that the girl understood what I really thought of her question
when I clarified my laugh with the smiling reply of
" what a fucking stupid comment"
Tactless people can be amusing
But stupid people
do need a slap from time to time
