Some times you can't win for losing. I've always tried to be pleasant at work. I enjoy laughing and I don't mind being the clown for a joke. I've always felt that smiling and eye contact are an important part of communication. I think it's very rude not to look someone in the eye when they're talking to you. This had lead to problems a couple of times.

About 20 years ago I worked with a man that I absolutely could not stand. All of my co-workers knew it, the man gave me the creeps, when he had to talk to me, he'd stand to close. He even knew it and would go out of his way to make me uncomfortable. He was just that kind of guy. I never made eye contact with him and tried to avoid all contact. Usually asking another co-worker to contact him with information. I still get the heebee geebees thinking about it. Anyway, his wife (to this day one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my life, what she saw in him I'll never know) worked there in a different department.

I was entering some data into the computer one day and she came into our office. I was alone except for an older gentleman that I'd worked with for 3 years and never heard him utter a single word. From time to time she filled in for another position, so I didn't think anything of it. She called my name, and when I turned to look at her she screamed "I WANT YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM MY HUSBAND"and a few other comments directed toward my general character that escape me now. I was absolutely stunned. When what she said sunk in, I went into the smaller back office to cry. I couldn't even talk. When my immediate boss came back in the room, I couldn't even tell her what was wrong. The older gentleman apparently could talk (I honestly thought he was a mute), and told her what the woman had said.

I'm older now, and I'm less concerened with other people's opinions and if it happened today I'd probably break out laughing.