Work Christmas party last night. I've been working there nearly 2 years. Got chatting with a woman who was on maternity leave when I first started, and returned part time after that, we also have different lunch breaks. So I don't really know her that well, but I do like her.
She was a bit "merry", as we all were, and said "I really like you, ButterPopcorn, you're a funny one- you know what you want out of work and know how to get it. You're not in it to make friends, are you?"
I just kind of laughed along but it has been on my mind, worrying that I'm known as unfriendly at work?! Now it is quite a cliquey workplace, with people being friends long before I started there. For example someone was someone else's bridesmaid recently. So there are some strong friendships already formed, and to be honest the people are not that similar to me in tastes like music, TV programmes etc, probably not people I would be friends with outside of work. But I am friendly, chat about what people have been up to over the weekend, share stories about my nephew who is the same age as some of their children, compliment people's outfits, hair cuts etc. I don't socialise with them outside of work, but I have never been invited to- some of them go to cinema, for tea together etc. I did go to someone's wedding evening do along with a group. Have sent Christmas cards to everyone at work.
I do have one good friend at work, she started there a few months after me so another newbie in a way so we came together and I found we had more similar tastes in music etc. We go for tea/nights out together, I babysit her little girl (she is a single parent) and recently helped her out when she had a spell in hospital, that no one else at work even knew about.
So AIBU to think it's a bit of a back-handed compliment to say "You can tell you're not in it to make friends", and that I should try to make more effort, or am I reading too much into it and should just shrug it off?