Side Story: Botanical Mishap

Note: This is a purely story based blog post. As such there will be no new photos. However, if you are interested in social behavior and social stories, this post is definitely for you. Without further ado, let's get into the story.

As readers of my last post may remember, I explored the Olbritch Botanical Gardens on Tuesday, November 6th. Overall, I had a decent time and was really impressed by the gardens themselves. However, what those readers may not know is that I had a strangely negative interaction upon my entrance. In order to reach the gardens themselves, you have to go into the main lobby first, go to the front desk, and then enter through a side door. As I entered the main lobby that day, I noticed there were two possible front desks. One desk was in the center of the room had two older women who looked like they were preoccupied helping a couple. Off to the side, there was another desk with a middle aged woman and a price board behind it. I headed toward the unoccupied desk to inquire about the pieces, as I thought it was free to explore the gardens. I would later learn that the outdoor gardens were free and those prices were for the indoor portion, but at the time I had no idea.

However, as I began to approach that desk, one of the older woman at the other desk asked-almost in a mean spirited snarl-"What are you doing?" I was taken back not only by the strangeness of the question-after all I was at the main lobby for the botanical gardens- but with surprise, as I hadn't even made eye contact with this lady. I responded with "Well I'm here to see the botanical gardens". Without a second to spare, she pointed to her left (my right) at the glass windows that looked out on the outdoor garden and said, again with bitterness, "They're here." As I took a step in that direction, she added "you should probably take a map". I figured taking a map wouldn't hurt, so I said "okay", but at this point, her acquaintance who was helping the couple chimed in "and it would make sense to listen to this (refering to what she was telling the couple) while you're here" in a similiar condescending tone to her desk partner.

At that point I was so astonished by the strangeness of the interaction that I simply called them both out. I asked "Are you guys mad at me, because the second I got in here you were like 'what are you doing'"-making sure to imitate their tone. The lady who was helping the couple responded with "No, we're not mad at you, we just want you to feel welcome" but the slight in her voice almost made it sound like a threat. I felt good about calling them out, so I stayed and listened to their information on the map. I think they realized how negatively they were coming across, so they both turned up their niceness for the lecture. However, once she had finished her advice and gave me and the couple an out, I left the scene and entered the gardens.

As I said earlier, I was very impressed by the structures and layout of the gardens and would recommend it to anyone passing through. However, my entire walkthrough was permeated by this slight unease that didn't go away until I left.

Enjoying the botanical gardens despite my weird interaction