It ocurred to me that I've made a lot of touchy-feely friends over the past 2 years or so. And when I say touchy-feely, I mean literally touchy-feely. The kind where you give each other a big hug every time you see each other, put your arm around their shoulder, etc. I have no romantic interest in any one of these people, and I'm 99.99% sure that they have none in me. As an example, my friend's SO spent 20 minutes giving me a back massage the other day to help work some knots out. While I greatly appreciated it, it didn't even occur to me that outsiders might view this as inappropriate. I doubt my friend or her SO thought it was either (I'm pretty sure he would tell me). It makes me wonder if I've lost track of standard acceptable personal boundaries. We're not talking about any kind of PDA or holding hands. I'm talking about totally innocent physical contact. Have I become more touchy-feely than normal? Or am I normal, and other people are less touchy-feely than me?
Maybe I need to try and be more conscious of my conservative friends in the future...
Comments (8)
Wait a sec, I didn't get a hug. Now I'm pissed. Though I did get a drink so I feel maybe I owe you the hug.
Either way, I'm with you on this. I have certain friends that I suspect outsiders would presume something by watching us without context.
Posted by Joy | August 20, 2004 9:50 PM
Posted on August 20, 2004 21:50
I'm gonna remind you of the fact that you never got up out of your chair until we were leaving. =P OK, duly noted. I owe you a hug.
Posted by Audiophile | August 21, 2004 1:39 AM
Posted on August 21, 2004 01:39
You have a point. But I want to point back that you all were so slow finishing dinner that I had already been up from my seat a couple times and you just missed it. See, by then, I was tired and drinking, and that means the couch was too comfy to leave.
Posted by Joy | August 21, 2004 2:20 AM
Posted on August 21, 2004 02:20
I thought you were talking about your male friends at first. Like "the milkman" from TU ;)
Posted by KC | August 21, 2004 11:12 AM
Posted on August 21, 2004 11:12
Inappropriate? need I remind you that I massaged 3 other people before you? 1 man and 2 women. And not only was my boyfriend there the whole time and not bothered by it at all, he also cracked a few backs himself, which he achieved by putting his arms completely around the men and women and giving them a big bear hug (and this did not bother me either, even though the women were really cute) ;p
btw, nontouchy-feely people need to get over it and get more hugs! ;) Kind human contact is quite healthy.
Posted by Shawna | August 21, 2004 11:54 PM
Posted on August 21, 2004 23:54
Hey, me and the milkman never got past second base...
Posted by Audiophile | August 22, 2004 10:06 PM
Posted on August 22, 2004 22:06
Shawna, I slipped when writing this post. I had meant to say "it didn't even occur to me that it might be viewed as inappropriate". I certainly didn't think it was inappropriate, and my shoulder blades thank you profusely. =)
Posted by Audiophile | August 22, 2004 10:09 PM
Posted on August 22, 2004 22:09
where do i sign up? =D
Posted by KC | August 23, 2004 4:03 PM
Posted on August 23, 2004 16:03