I'm listening...

I've become enough of a familiar face around the plywood plant now that people who once always remained silent in my presence, are beginning to talk in front of me. Today during lunch I sat at a table with two others and ate my lunch. I'm friendly and I'll smile and such, but I'm not very talkative. I still keep to myself.

The two other people who sat at the table apparently thought that because I wasn't talking, I wasn't listening to their conversation, despite the fact that they were right next to me. I wasn't eavesdropping, I was just within blatant hearing range. One of them mentioned that it was hot yesterday. He looked my way, so I nodded in agreement.

"See, she agrees with me," he said. The other occupant of the table responded, "She doesn't even know what she agreed to. She's not listening to us."

I don't know why they thought I wasn't listening. I don't know what else they thought I might be doing. It was weird. Maybe they thought my ear plugs were still in.