"Unexpected Answer" by Susan Pearl

In an attempt to make conversation with an elderly lady-

I thought I had the perfect "ice breaker"-

So I asked, "How long were you and your husband married?" 

She answered, "Fifty-five years."

I said, "Oh, how wonderful."

She looked into my eyes and said as firmly and forcefully as she could,-

   "It wasn't a happy marriage."

I changed the subject to talk about something else as I thought-

"Whoa, time to move on."

She was blunt, truthful and factual-

and she thought nothing of it--but I sure thought the ice breaker was inappropriate-

  and I learned a lesson that --it is best to talk about the weather for an ice breaker.