i don't always want to talk to you

I got a call from my mobile provider yesterday. I was driving the car. I am a very bad driver*. I told them this and they said they'd call me back.

I got another call from them this morning. I was driving the car, again. My driving skills had not noticeably improved in the intervening 18 hours. They asked if they should call me back. I said they could tick me off the list for now, but that I would be calling them back at some point at my convenience and it would nice if they would listen to me. I'm not sure they will but it's worth a go.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town: I was with some people and someone that I vaguely know** seemed a bit off. On a sudden whim, I asked her if she was OK. She said she was fine. As someone else noted, she obviously wasn't and she didn't want to talk about it. Which was understandable.

A little later, I realised I may have been behaving like my mobile provider***. Being asked how we're doing is kinda nice - if it's motivated by more than solely a corporate or social obligation. But we reserve the right not to have that conversation with that particular person right then and there. Maybe it's not the right time. Or they are not the right person.

So if we make that offer, we probably need to recognise that it may be taken up at a time not of choosing. What do we do about that?

*And even if I wasn't, I shouldn't be talking on the phone.
**Greeting in the street but not lengthy conversation.
***I will shortly be releasing a "cap" offer where you can 300 mins of me for the price of 30. I will also be adopted in a thick Indian accent for all future telephone conversations. And you can also get an itemised bill for all our conversations.