the whole story


Relating highly personal information to strangers is never a comfortable feeling. If you’re a regular reader of the rose city journal, then you already know that strangers have a propensity to tell me all about themselves. However, I’ve never felt like this needs to go both ways. In fact, I’m a fairly private person (believe it or not) and I am not likely to share any information with anyone unless they are in the Lisa circle of trust.

But sometimes, telling someone else too much information is unavoidable. When you need something right away. When you (me) are yacking away about something inconsequential and you accidentally spill private information. When you’re feeling down, and someone just happens to look inside of you… for a brief moment you feel a kinship with them, and you let your guard down.

These aren’t necessarily bad things. It’s just, when you’ve always been very private it can feel awkward to give out information about yourself. Actually, I don’t usually feel awkward until after I’ve said whatever it was that I needed to say. It isn’t until a minute or two later- sometimes hours later- that I begin to feel the burn.

Or sometimes it just makes me laugh. Typical Lisa conversation with too much information offered out of desperation:

I am on the phone with Darla, the receptionist at the waxing place, trying to schedule a Brazilian. It is Saturday afternoon.

“How about next Tuesday? I can fit you in at 2:30,” she chirps.

“Um, I was hoping to get in today.”

“Well, what about Monday evening? Chelsea has an opening at 6:30.”

“Today would really be great.”

“Well… You’re really supposed to call ahead…”

This was my opportunity to say, I am a regular and I know Chelsea will fit me in, but it never occurred to me. Instead:

“Darla. We have third date emergency here. I didn’t know it would happen so fast, but I’m not kidding, I HAVE to get in today.”

(Conspiratorial whisper) “Got it. Can you be here in 30 minutes?”

I didn’t think I could feel more stupid until I arrived… and two passing waxers gave me two big smiles and Chelsea asked who I was going out with.

Sometimes, giving up too much information is what you have to do to get what you want. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

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