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Lately, I've been having issues with people that I'm around on speaking clearly. Now, I'm not talking about pronunciation or diction or anything of the sort-- It's more... just not saying what they really mean. I've started noticing it because it has happened with not one, but several people that I have contact with daily.

If you want me to know something, you have to tell me. You have to spell it out-- I'm not a mind reader. I can't listen to one thing and just instantly think another.

I'm going to think that you mean what you say.

If you say that your stomach hurts, or that you're feeling bad, I'm going to think just. I'm going to feel sorry that you feel bad, and hope for you to feel better. I'm not going to hear that, and then immediately understand that you are going to take a nap. What does a nap have to do with a hurt tummy? When I have a hurt tummy, I don't take a nap-- it makes me feel worse. So of course I wouldn't connect the two.

If you want to take a nap, then say you are taking a nap.

Don't get mad at me when I keep talking to you, and you get irritated because I merely did not understand you.

Or when I'm at work, and I offer to help someone.

"Would you like help today?"

"No, I'm just looking."

"Well, while you're looking around, take a look at all of our sale items."

"I just told you that I want to be left alone."

Um... no, no you didn't. You just said that you were looking. If you want to be left alone, then by god, TELL ME. Or you get the customer who just ASSUMES that you're going to wait on them, hand and tail, and just read their minds. How am I supposed to know that you want a ballet flat that's shiny, and preferably a bright color-- not black--, if you don't tell me?

It's all common sense right?

Or things like, "I'm studying."

When I hear that, I don't immediately associate 'studying' with someone actually being in class, at that moment. Studying to me is doing work outside of class. If you tell me you are studying, then I'll prolly still talk to you. If you are in class, then guess what you should tell me?

"I'm in class. Talk later."

Ok! Gotchya! I understand.

It's really annoying when people say one thing, and just... assume that you are going to get another picture that is usually completely unrelated. It's been happening to me so often lately, and always with different people, that it's just really starting to bug me.

Just tell me what you want to say. Saying that you can't talk right now because you are feeling bad is not going to irritate me. Saying that your stomach hurts, and then getting irritated that I didn't understand that you wanted to go to sleep instead of talking, IS.

Just speak clearly.