"Scary" people

There are some people you meet at school or at work who are kind of scary. Not like in a demonic or serial killer kind of way, but just very intimidating. Something in the way they talk to you or carry themselves is wholly unfriendly and very curt.

So it's very interesting when one befriends a couple of these "scary" people. There was an attorney I used to work with who terrified the staff. He'd snap biting one-liners at people before dismissing them, leave the room while people were still talking, and hang up on them while the other person was mid-sentence. I was however able to get to know the guy and discovered that some of it was an act and most of it was an "I don't give a rat's ass"-attitude. I found it all amusing. As I walked by him in the hall one morning, he looked away, rolling his eyes at me. Instead of cowering, I smiled and chirped an extra-happy "Good morning!" "Hi," he relented. He later told me he was annoyed because he wanted to be pissy but I thwarted his efforts by being so goddamn cheerful.

I knew a girl from school who also intimidated people, both men and women. Her poise and the way she spoke was very self-assured, blunt, and concise; and she's not one of those girls who goes out of her way to be extra girly and giggly. But people interpreted her behavior as condescending and cold. I got to know her and learned that she is actually a sweet girl who happens to be very articulate. I even admired her bluntness. e.g. Guy asks her at a bar, "Hi there, how you doing?" She responds, "Not interested. Goodbye."

So the next time I meet someone who seems to be "scary," I'll give it a second thought. No doubt there are some people out there who are 100% through and through scary and mean (e.g., dictators, some teachers); but I'd like to believe they are few and far between. For the most part, everyone has a little bit of nice to them that is hidden by their mistakenly scary persona.