Miscommunication, you are so annoying!!!!

Being a paraprofessional, I have to talk to a lot of people. A lot of people. A lot of talking. It can be tiresome. It can be awesome. If you haven't noticed, I just made a rhyme lol. However, not every relationship or conversation I've been in flows like a rhyme. There are people who I connect well with and have a good relationship with. Then, there are people I just have the hardest time connecting with. No matter how many smiles, jokes, or conversation pieces I try bringing up, I don't get the response I desire. If anything, the response I get from people can be down right confusing or just down right irritating. "How is everything going for you?" "Good." "That is really awesome, yo." "Yeah, I guess." Half-butt responses and disinterested looks I sometimes get and I don't like them. Who does? But if there is one thing I've learned recently is this: Human communication isn't perfect.

There is this one girl in my program that I just can't figure out. I don't think I did anything wrong. I do what any other paraprofessional would do: be friendly, tell them about upcoming activities, anything my job requires me to do. Yet, I only get short responses and blank stares. I even try saying hello to the girl and I sometimes feel like she is avoiding me. What gives??? At first, I wanted to blame myself: my conversation skills suck, I'm not good with people, blah blah blah. Then, I began to question her: Maybe she has troubles with conversation, maybe she is just a shy person, maybe she is just a shallow person, maybe she still has a hard time with Americans, or maybe she doesn't like black people. The list goes on. However, as I think about all the possibilities, one thing comes to mind: miscommunication can happen anywhere at anytime in a myriad of ways.

Face expressions, words, gestures, the atmosphere, the time, anything can affect communication. Maybe I talk with a straight face even though I speak with energy and excitement. Maybe she finds the way I do my job is strange. A lot of factors can come into play and the funny thing is that in the end I will probably never understand why our relationship is like this. Rather its me or her, there is not point creating judgments that are not credible. Miscommunication can happen when we notice them or not.

How can we overcome this? I only have control in what I do, not what she does. I can worry for the rest of my life about why she acts the way she does, or I can focus on my part of the conversation/relationship, the part I have control over. As long as I do my part and be responsible for my actions, why worry about something you can't control. Of course, questions could be asked and the relationship could require sometime. Anything is better than worrying about something I will never really have control over. Miscommunication is bound to happen. What is more important is how we respond to it.