I don't think that you're a jerk in fact I would say that I'm not entirely different myself. I'm half Latin and I grew up in the Deep South so I was raised in a culture where people tend to be physically affectionate, but there's a big difference between a hug or a kiss on the cheek from a family or friends and touchy feely creeps looking to cop a feel. One of my biggest pet peeves are those office creeps who used to come up behind me and subject me to an unrequested neck and shoulder massage. What's especially disturbing about those scenarios is that my neck and shoulders may very well be sore, and a massage might feel good, but I might not care to have that particular person touch me. Those ocassions tend to cause a particularly uncomfortable cognitive dissonance within my mind, emotions and body.
Conversely, I remember when I was a young adult working in South Florida before I went away to college there was this very sweet older English woman who would always greet meet hello and goodbye with a hug, a kiss on the cheek, but she was a dear friend, and like a second mother to me. I think we all have right to decide who gets to touch us, and be in our personal space. Please don't ever feel guilty for wanting to have your personal boundaries respected. I must admit that if someone to whom I'm not attracted finds himself smitten with me I prefer that he keep that to himself. I've had my share of battles with self esteem, but I'd like to think that mine is not so low that I would crave attention or feel indebted to those who I find distasteful.
Sadly one of the drawbacks of being an attractive person is that some people feel entitled to harass you. I'm not too happy about growing old, but I welcome the waning of such unwanted attention.
IIN or am I jerk?
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I don't think that you're a jerk in fact I would say that I'm not entirely different myself. I'm half Latin and I grew up in the Deep South so I was raised in a culture where people tend to be physically affectionate, but there's a big difference between a hug or a kiss on the cheek from a family or friends and touchy feely creeps looking to cop a feel. One of my biggest pet peeves are those office creeps who used to come up behind me and subject me to an unrequested neck and shoulder massage. What's especially disturbing about those scenarios is that my neck and shoulders may very well be sore, and a massage might feel good, but I might not care to have that particular person touch me. Those ocassions tend to cause a particularly uncomfortable cognitive dissonance within my mind, emotions and body.
Conversely, I remember when I was a young adult working in South Florida before I went away to college there was this very sweet older English woman who would always greet meet hello and goodbye with a hug, a kiss on the cheek, but she was a dear friend, and like a second mother to me. I think we all have right to decide who gets to touch us, and be in our personal space. Please don't ever feel guilty for wanting to have your personal boundaries respected. I must admit that if someone to whom I'm not attracted finds himself smitten with me I prefer that he keep that to himself. I've had my share of battles with self esteem, but I'd like to think that mine is not so low that I would crave attention or feel indebted to those who I find distasteful.
Sadly one of the drawbacks of being an attractive person is that some people feel entitled to harass you. I'm not too happy about growing old, but I welcome the waning of such unwanted attention.
Hang in there, beautiful.