Filters

I have had several instances over the last year where I have been the recipient of someone else's need to unload their personal story. It wouldn't bother me so much if these people weren't complete strangers. I think of myself as a friendly person and am always willing to lend an ear or a shoulder, but it's generally with people that I actually know. Maybe these people see something in me that I don't.

Example #1: Last year when Bud started playing All Stars I was standing around at the batting cages watching him bat with a friend, Chris, that we had met through baseball and we were just small talking. David hadn't gotten there yet so he missed the following conversation. This guy walked up to us with his child in an umbrella stroller. He first introduced himself as one of the team coaches and told us that he was wanting to meet all of the parents since he would be helping coach. Ok, sure. No problem. Hi, how ya doin? I was ok at that point. He then started to go on and on about how he had "let" his wife go fishing with her dad since they didn't get to spend much time together and that he was "babysitting" the kids. WHAT?? I'm sorry, but husbands (Daddy's) don't babysit their kids. That's just called being a PARENT. Babysitting usually involves someone other than the parents watching the kids, but anyway......

He then started talking about these bat bags that the team would be getting and how he knew someone who could monogram them for the team. WHAT?? What man knows anything about monogramming? I know my husband doesn't. I think at that point my friend Chris had walked away because this guy, and I'm NOT kidding, talked like he had just stepped out of high school. He kept saying "Like this and Like that". It absolutely drove me nuts but being the friendly person I am, I just continued to listen and nod.

The conversation went on for a little bit longer (I really can't remember what about) and then it just got plain weird. I really don't even know how he got on the topic but by the time our conversation ended, he had told me that he was contemplating a vasectomy ,but that he was only 27 years old and he thought he was too young for that. I'm sorry, WHAT????? I was so grossed out. I had just met this person and here he was talking about his man parts. I honestly hadn't realized that my friend Chris had abandoned me until that point. I looked beside me to get his reaction of what this guy had just unloaded on me and he was no where to be found. Yeah, thanks Chris! LOL! I immediately told this guy that I had to leave. Can you believe it? Where was his filter?

Example #2: Another time during All Stars, we were at a tournament and we had a little break so I had left to run home but stopped by McDonald's to get Boogs & Mimi a milkshake. As I was waiting to get their milkshakes, the woman at the side window started going on about her daughter that had left home and was in a lot of trouble. I really felt sad for this lady because you could see the sadness in her eyes. I just tried to listen as best as I could but was thinking, how could this lady tell me all this stuff when she didn't even know me? Maybe she just needed someone to talk to. Even if it was a stranger at a drive up window.

Example #3: A few weeks ago, David and I had taken the kids to a birthday party at Pump-It-Up. It's one of those places that has those big jumpy things. Anyway, there was a lady whose child was also at the party and she introduced herself and literally talked the entire time we sat there. Probably about 40min. I heard everything about her kids, her "girlie" problems and anything else she needed to talk about.

I really don't mind listening to people and what they have to say, but what I do mind is when someone starts telling me about personal stuff like if he needs to get fixed or what kind of menstrual problems a lady is having. I just think information like that should be kept to one's own self or shared with close family or friends.....not complete strangers. I hope I'm not being insensitive here. I just think it's kind of weird.

But now that I think about it, it hasn't always applied to strangers.

We had gone to a family gathering a few years ago for Thanksgiving. There was some extended family there that I had never met and that David had not seen since he was young so it was kind of a big deal that everyone was there. So that I don't embarrass anyone I will keep names out of this post, but as everyone was sitting around catching up, I was being caught up on this persons yeast infection. WHAT?? Yep. She was sharing with me, right before we were supposed to sit down to a very delicious meal, about her feminine problems. Gross. Let's just say that my Thanksgiving meal was "lite" that year.

I'm writing all of these examples to say that I wish people would use their filters sometimes. I'm all for being there for someone, but sometimes I wish not to hear about certain things.

We all need to make sure that we watch what we tell people because some information is better off not being told. HaHa!