Should I have just not said anything?

[Anonymous]

I work in a hospital, and today I was headed to get some soup in the cafetria, and I noticed a woman had dripped the soup all over the styrofoam container. I do it all the time, the stupid ladles they have are terrible for pouring into the container. Anyways, she was busy trying to clean it up and I essentially said, "Ugh, that happens to me all the time, I know it's so frustrating." I was really just trying to make her feel better, because I always feel mildly stupid when that happens.

She turned around, kept saying "What?" louder and louder, and I thought maybe she was hard of hearing, and I said, "I'm just sorry that happened." She looked at me and said "This is none of your business. What happened here is none of your business."

I apologized (although I'm not sure why), and immediately wrote her off as a being a bit mentally off....

But... I got to thinking. Did I do something wrong? She's right, it's not any of my business, is it not normal to say things like this? I guess I personally kind of like it when someone tries to strike up a conversation like that, but perhaps others don't? Is it wrong that I think she may be mentally off? Perhaps her response was normal? Perhaps she's having a bad day in other regards (after all, she is in a hospital).

I guess I'm struggling with something socially (in terms of colleague relationships) and feeling left out, so I'm second guessing some of my normal social responses.

Perhaps I should just keep my mouth shut in the future if I don't know them.

[Anonymous]

Stop thinking. You were fine. She was embarrassed and took it out on you.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't expect the best social interactions with someone in a hospital (unless you know they work there). They are either there because they are sick or someone they care about it sick. continue to be friendly, most people will apperciate it.

[Anonymous]

You were absolutely fine. Especially with a coworker, but even if it had been someone with no connection. This is how you get to know people. Don't let one oddball ruin your interactions.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you just ran into a cranky person, OP. There was nothing wrong with what you said.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all. Just to clarify, she wasn't a coworker, I didn't know her.

[Anonymous]

You were fine, there's nothing wrong with trying to say something nice. That said, when I spent months in the hospital with my daughter, I was not in a good place. I can see myself acting the way that woman did because I just did not have any extra energy to spend on strangers some days and I couldn't deal with people's pity-even in minor situations. So it's nice that you tried to put some good energy out there, but you can't burden that random woman with the expectation that she has to give anything back to you.

[Anonymous]

20 percent of Americans are mentally disturbed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: 20 percent of Americans are mentally disturbed

90% of statistics are made up

[Anonymous]

You're fine OP. God only knows what was going on in that woman's head, why she found herself in a hospital cafeteria on a weekday morning spilling soup all over the place.

I would put a large sum of money on her reaction having nothing to do with you. Hospitals are scary, upsetting places for lots of people. She may really be in the middle of something awful and that stupid styrofoam container was one more straw on a breaking back.

It's not about you.

[Anonymous]

I would write it off, but one thing comes to mind about her defensiveness... maybe she has the beginnings of a tremor or Parkinson's disease and is beginning to shake.
Long shot, but that popped into my mind... and she could definitely be cranky about it.
You did noting wrong!

[Anonymous]

Yeah, you're fine. It happens all the time when someone trips or does something like that and strangers make eye contact and an off hand remark like that.

[Anonymous]

Who knows why she was in the hospital. Someone is dying? She is sick? She snapped.... Big deal. Move on and try not to strike up conversations with people during a hospital visit, funeral, or court. I assure you that people will most likely not be the most friendly at that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: 20 percent of Americans are mentally disturbed

90% of statistics are made up

100% of statistics can be calculate to prove any point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in a hospital, and today I was headed to get some soup in the cafetria, and I noticed a woman had dripped the soup all over the styrofoam container. I do it all the time, the stupid ladles they have are terrible for pouring into the container. Anyways, she was busy trying to clean it up and I essentially said, "Ugh, that happens to me all the time, I know it's so frustrating." I was really just trying to make her feel better, because I always feel mildly stupid when that happens.

She turned around, kept saying "What?" louder and louder, and I thought maybe she was hard of hearing, and I said, "I'm just sorry that happened." She looked at me and said "This is none of your business. What happened here is none of your business."

I apologized (although I'm not sure why), and immediately wrote her off as a being a bit mentally off....

But... I got to thinking. Did I do something wrong? She's right, it's not any of my business, is it not normal to say things like this? I guess I personally kind of like it when someone tries to strike up a conversation like that, but perhaps others don't? Is it wrong that I think she may be mentally off? Perhaps her response was normal? Perhaps she's having a bad day in other regards (after all, she is in a hospital).

I guess I'm struggling with something socially (in terms of colleague relationships) and feeling left out, so I'm second guessing some of my normal social responses.

Perhaps I should just keep my mouth shut in the future if I don't know them.

Unless she was intellectually disabled or an alien this is made up and I'm not sure why.