Apparently the days of personal space have become extinct. In a world that is over populated, this was inevitable. But seriously people, I need some space!

I still operate in the minority. I say, “Excuse me,” open doors, avoid walking between people and actually allow drivers to merge. I know I’m a unicorn (my term for something so wonderfully amazing, it cannot truly exist).

My experiences with those who have no connotation of the phrase personal phase are varied and regular. Here are two that are two of the worst (best?) examples:

I live in a condo. I have an upstairs neighbor. The night I moved in they had a party that kept me up until 4AM. And the party has yet to cease. At least twice a week I’m awakened in the middle of the night. The parade of people that go in and out of that condo perplexes me so that I’m not sure who actually lives there. I don’t like to complain, but I have. When your actions and lack of respect for anyone begins to impact my life and my sleep (not too mention a terrified puppy dog) then the gloves come off. If you live in close quarters, please respect others. Understand that if your social life is so busy and your house is party central then you should probably be living in a single family house! It’s not just footsteps now and then it’s – what the hell are they doing up there? My girlfriend who was over once actually asked, “Are they bowling?” Who knows, but I need some peace.

The other incident occurred in France while Caron and I were touring the Palace of Versailles. Yes, there were many visitors there that day from many different cultures. I understand that not every culture thinks in terms of personal space because some countries live so close together. We were moving through the palace at the same time as a large Asian party who had no sense of space, absolutely none. I was stepped on, elbowed and pushed out of the way. We actually had bruises on our legs from the mob. Finally, we just hung back long enough to let them pass.

So I stand by my rule on personal space. If I’m ever invading someone’s personal space, it’s by invitation. And if you are in mine then don’t be surprised if I have a remark or two. I’m educating the masses. Because we all want our own little space in the world even if it’s just a six inch circle around us.