Privacy is a real thing
If there’s one thing my mother taught me is when to ask questions and when not to. There’s a time when it’s appropriate to inquire and there’s a time when if you have doubts about asking, then you shouldn’t. And if there’s one thing I detest, is when people ask questions that I don’t care to answer, especially to the one that’s doing the asking.
There are different levels of friends. Some of whom will pour their hearts out to you and vice versa, and some more casual. I used to work with someone whom I still keep in touch with via text and whenever I don’t respond to their text, they freak out as if I am ignoring them on purpose or they assume something horrible has happened. Um, did you ever think that maybe I’m busy???
I like my privacy. I like deciding who to share personal stuff with. So when someone shares something they somehow found out about me, I get very uncomfortable.
A couple of weeks ago, I was bantering over drinks with a colleague about something that occurred earlier that day. A casual friend pulled up a chair right by us, assuming it was okay to get in on the conversation. I was in a decent mood, so I shrugged it off, but after a while, I was getting a bit claustrophobic. I ordered food and they took it upon themselves to snack on my side offering. Of course I paid for my food, without them offering to throw in a few bucks. It’s not about the money, it’s about the intrusion on both the conversation and my dinner for the night.
This is not a new trend or strand of occurrences, I am just venting because I’ve become more aware of such subtleties and I often wonder what is the best way to respond.
Social media is an interesting case in such. Lately, I’ve choosen not to share as much because I don’t want feeling like I’m lying under a microscope. In any case, I must speak up for myself if I feel boundaries are being crossed. After all, it’s my life that I value and treasure the most. And it’s not one that I care to share easily with just anyone.
