Dear B.A.,
I work 12 hour days and am exhausted when I come home from work. All I want to do is go inside and relax when I get home. I have a neighbor who frequently arrives home at the same time I do. He always wants to chat with me before heading inside. He likes to talk about things I am entirely uninterested in like what happened at the last Homeowner’s Association meeting. How can I avoid listening to him drone on and on without being rude?
Sincerely,
Good Neighbor
GN,
I find that the most effective way to end a conversation that you do not wish to be having is to relate the topic of discussion to a personal problem. For example, if your neighbour is boring you with the details of the last Homeowner’s meeting you can tell him that you would really like to attend these meetings, but your painful hemorrhoids keep you from being able to sit for long periods of time. You could also nonchalantly mention that you just returned from Liberia and you think it is totally unfair that they want you to stay in quarantine.
Yours Truly,
B.A.
