In the Restaurant with Others and On Your Birthday

The Split Second-In Consideration of Others in These Trying Times

I am still working on the publicity of my book, The Split Second:  In Consideration of Others or Look Up from the Phone and How to Deal with Rudeness in Others, and as I stated before, this is the most difficult part of getting this book out to the world, but I have not given up yet and do not intend to do so. I let my work on the book get put on hold due to COVID-19 and I did not even succumb to the disease. My heart goes out to all who did.

Once more, I want to touch upon the subject of consideration of others yet again which is the main subject of my work.  Last Friday I was celebrating my 64^th birthday with someone I had considered a dear friend.  She, herself, brought a friend of hers I had met several times.  We were in a restaurant which was very noisy and had many small television sets with various sports events showing on them. My friend is a huge sports fan. The evening would be total disaster for me for three basic reasons and I attribute those reasons to my friend.  1.) She pulled out her phone several times to speak with family members while the two of us sat there and listened in and not that we wanted to do so. None of the calls was an emergency in the slightest. 2.) My friend interrupted what little conversation there was each time she felt she had to “get the latest score” of the two games she was keeping an eye on at that moment. 3.) My friend kept her conversation with her other friend totally leaving me out of it whatsoever.  With the noise in the restaurant, I could hardly hear what the two women were discussing. When I did hear something, it had everything to do with people they know, and I do not whatsoever.  Yes, that was rude. 

Here is what the concept of The Split Second would illuminate on this situation.

1.) When dining with others, one needs to think of taking that particular call on the cell phone. If it had been a bona fide emergency, I would have no problem with her talking with those on the other end about what needed to be done.  I would also think the evening for us would be over at that point. Yet, we had to listen to her talk with family members about matters that did not concern us for too lengthy of a time.  The Split Second would teach us that those calls need to be put on hold for the sake of the folks with whom one is dining.

2.) Wanting to watch the game (s) at a restaurant with dining companions who are not into sports as her friend and I would be deemed as just plain rude.  There is an element of “wanting to have your cake and eat it,” too, here. That is so wrong when we are out with friends celebrating.

3.)  At any kind of occasion where more than two people are dining together, there must be a way that all members at the table can be involved in the conversation. The Split Second would say that is rude when someone at a table in a restaurant is left out of the conversation all together and it was my birthday.

I have let my friend know that she was very rude.  We might get over this and move on.  I have not decided yet.