Chick Chat With Connie Girl: Do Older Women Overly Assert Their Age?

 

I was at a party recently and I bumped into my sister in law and her friends. As soon as I walked in, I went to greet her and her friends at the table. The ones I knew well, I greeted warmly and the rest I gave a general courtesy and good evening. One of her friends felt slighted and mentioned later to my SIL that I was rude and didn’t greet her “well”. She stated that she is 10 years older than me and I need to learn manners and that she knows my father very well. I have never set eyes on this lady EVER so I didn’t understand her requirement for the extra reverence. As far as I was concerned I acknowledged her and accorded her a basic level of respect. When I got home, I narrated the story to my husband and played out the scenario for him. He can’t believe how ridiculous it is. “Why does your greeting mean so much to her”! My sister in law on the other hand has asked me to apologise to her friend just to clear up any misunderstanding. She is the docile one amongst her “beastly” peers so she is very easily influenced!

There is a 10 year gap between me and her but she respects herself and so do I so we have no issues. She said “Lagos is a small place and you don’t want her telling everybody you are rude. Please call her and tell her you didn’t mean to be rude”.

I understand playing the fool does not necessarily make me a fool. I understand the concept of stooping to conquer BUT this is silly!

Is it an insecurity of an older generation of women to assert their age unnecessarily with younger females. Is this a typical case of an agbaya?  How does one measure the decency of respect? Who is the authority on what a “good greeting” is? Honestly, people exhaust me with pettiness! Do you know a Petty Patty like this woman? Would you apologise?