So what would you do if someone offered information about themselves that you really didn’t want to know about in the first place? How would you react being in that situation?
Time out: Some background info
Yesterday we had a blood donation drive at our office. Unfortunately, due to my condition (nursing), I was advised not to donate. Good news though, a lot of my colleagues did. Kudos to you all. Each drop of blood means so much.
Back to my situation.
I was waiting at the lift after prayers. Beside me was this lady, around mid 20’s. We smiled and both waited patiently for the lift to arrive. Noticing the blood donation poster plastered near the lift, the lady pointed to it and asked me “Akak tak derma darah?” (Are you donating blood?)
I smiled and said “Taklah, menyusu anak. Doktor advice jangan.” (Sorry, no. I’m breastfeeding. The doctor advised not too.)
Her next statement is something I’ll never truly forget.
“Saya pun nak derma, tapi tak boleh. Doktor tak bagi. Saya termasuk dalam golongan kat sini.” (I want to donate but the doctors advised not too. I’m one of these.)
She pointed to the bottom of the poster. It read
Do not donate blood if you are
v Homosexual
v Bisexual
v Having sex with multiple partners
v Having sex with prostitutes
v Doing drugs and sharing needles
I was stunned. I just stared at her. And gave a faint smile. What was I to do, ask her “which one?”.
Hardly skipping a beat, she proceeded to give me her life story. How she was once wild in her younger life. How she’s no longer like that; that she’s turned over a new leaf. How she sometimes wishes she can turn back the hands of time and do things differently.
God, that lift took forever to arrive!!!
I was getting seriously uncomfortable, I mean, I don’t even know this person.
Well, the lift finally came, we both got on and she got off at the 2nd floor, while I was left to mull over what had happened.
In the car, on the way home, I told this story to hubby.
“Do I look like someone you can share every intimate detail with?”
Hubby looked back. “I’m married to you. I think that entitles me to.”
“Yeah, but what if you weren’t married to me? Would you tell me intimate stuff then?”
“Only if it meant impressing you and getting to know you better.”
“Huh.”
Thursday, April 14, 2005
An Uncomfortable Situation
Posted by Along at 4:03 PM
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9 comments:
Aku rasa kau dah jadi mangsa candid camera la...
Maybe she needed someone to pour her heart out & u came in the light :) Seems like something too awful to regret about isn't it? I pity her.
eee.. mmg tak comfortable. but, we have ppl like that in this world. jenis tak kisah telling other ppl abt their story of life.
p/s: sorie. but this is kinda out of topic. are you an x-SSPian?
Maiz: I am serious. No tipu-tipu. Sick? Maybe notlah. Maybe she was just extra friendly. :~
Amoi: Candid camera?..hehehehe..maybe notlah.
Azalea: Why me?!! Maybe I should quit my job and host a talk show like Oprah. Then people can spill their beans to me and I'll get rich from it. ps: I know who you are :D
Hazel: SSP? Sorry, bukan. Try again.
BUT... you did share that you were nursing. To some people, THAT can also be viewed as sharing a bit too much info:)
Along,
I think that the best thing you can do in that situation is nod sympathetically and then run.
I have someone on the bus in the mornings who has singled me out as a 'friend'. I've found that she just really needs someone to talk to. So I let her yammer away about stuff that isn't appropriate, and then I leave the bus.
I don't tell her anything about myself. She wanted to switch phone numbers one day and I just looked at her and said "no". I feel sorry for the folks who try and create instant best friends.
How lonely do they have to be?
Along, some time some people just need a shoulder to cry on, or a sympathetic ear to listen. Hey, we do similar on our blogs, right? ;-)
Anyway, one of my colleagues get rejected from blood donation because of studying in UK during the early 80's. Something to do with the "mad cow disease" and difficulty of blood testing for those, so they just exclude those danger groups.
wassalam, sabre23t =^.^=
Hehe..u know me aa? I've been reading your blog for quite sometime and enjoying myself. At least I have some idea on how motherhood is like :D
I'm linking you , btw. Hope u dun mind
anonymous: I don't think telling her I was nursing as shring too much info. It's not like I raised my blouse and showed her my bruised nipples. Now THAT would be too much sharing.
Krissy: Yeah, it is kind of sad. What happened to talking about the weather as small talk? I've decided not to acknowledge this person, if and when I see her again. I hope she won't recognise me, either.
sabre23t: If it was because of a health issue (which was what I was thinking in teh fisrt place), I wouldn't have had a problem with it. But she did point to the poster and it CLEARLY stated those reason I mentioned in my post.
I'm all for having a shoulder to cry on, but please, not to a total stranger.
Azalea: Link away! Link away!!
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