My Dad's sister is an elderly widow, late 70s. She recently got in touch with me, as I did not know her growing up. My Dad was not in contact with her for many years. I was at first glad to talk to her, as we didn't know each other when I was growing up but once my sister gave her # to my Aunt, she has been calling almost every day and she has been telling me offensive sexual jokes and some that are racist and she thinks they are funny. I just don't want to be mean to her. I have told her before I am busy witth work, family, etc and she says she will not call for a while and a few weeks later she is back calling every few days even as late as 10pm.. Besides blocking her # I am not sure what else to do? She is a nice person, she may just be lonely and I don't want to hurt her feelings. She has been calling other family members the same way also and they have been avoiding her calls.
Has anyone dealt with this situation? Any advice helpful. Thanks!
You might also be able to break up her calling pattern by taking the initiative and ringing her for a good old chinwag, regularly and at a time that suits you, like every Sunday afternoon or something. Have interesting topics of conversation handy and talk to her as you would to any other lively-minded person you didn't (yet, God willing) know very well.
It is *fine* to tell her if you find something she says offensive. You don't have to be mean back at her or anything, just be truthful. She's a grown-up, she can take it.
I think this person got the message when I got up and walked out of the house, which was awkward for me because I love my friend. A few others did it too. My friend soon saw how offensive he was and eventually spoke to him.
My friend accepts him as he is and is patient with him, okay fine, but he was crossing all kinds of lines for me and I seriously couldn’t stomach his comments or jokes. Let me just say that I would never give any credence to him by repeating them.
I would either say point blank that you do not consider the joke to be funny or not even bother to pick up the phone.
You would think in the year of 2021, these things would be gone. Sadly, they aren’t.
I appreciate the fact that you don’t find them funny.
I feel ‘prejudice’ is a learned behavior.
Fortunately, my family did not set bad examples regarding prejudice attitudes so I didn’t grow up learning this behavior.