I need space … actual, physical personal space. After being cooped up at home with the girls since school ended at lunchtime on Friday, I was ecstatic when 09.30 arrived and I walked away from the door of their Sunday School. Alone. 

Don’t get me wrong – I love my girls. But sometimes I just need some space.

To understand though, here’s some background:

My eldest had a fever from around 16.00 on Friday until about 03.00am this morning. Post from yesterday 

I finally discovered it was her back molar cutting through sometime yesterday afternoon. With it came a shocking bad mood, which also caused many many … Many fights between the two girls. And my husband was away on a hunting trip with guys from work. Kids are very demanding when they are feeling unwell. 

By 08.00 this morning I was ready to blow. 

But I’m A Stay-At-Home-Mum

I know I sound like a spoilt brat because I am a SAHM and they are at school every weekday morning from 07.30 (okay, 07.00) until 12.15ish. So technically I get my mornings ‘off’. But as all Stay at home mums know – that doesn’t mean we sit in front of the TV and drinks endless cups of hot tea!

Anyway, 09.30 I dashed home, grabbed my keys and headed to the supermarket. As I drove off I turned the radio up loud, (my new favorite song is Me Too by Meghan Trainor). I felt free, for 5 minutes!!! 

I dashed around the supermarket then went to stand in the queue. 

I am always very aware of leaving space between me and the person in front of me. Last year I was 3 weeks post-op after my second hip replacement (yes, I’m only 34 but will leave that story for another day) when some inconsiderate idiot rammed his trolley into my hip. Not because he was mean but because he was inconsiderate and felt that the two inch gap between us was far too big! 

Elbow room

Anyway, today I was in the queue catching up on Facebook on my phone. The queue is designed for one person/trolley width with sweets & other unhealthy crap on either side. Whilst on my phone I could feel the presence of someone NEXT to me! I inched forward slightly to try to regain some personal space but she didn’t get it and so inched forward too! I then also realized that her friend on the other side of me suffered from the same affliction and so was also trying to climb on my back. This is a serious pet hate of mine. Why? Why? 

Do some people just like touching strangers at 10.00 on a Sunday morning at the grocery store? Do they like the body heat. They can’t possibly be cold – it’s a spring day in Africa love, 28 degrees!!! Maybe she liked my perfume and so wanted to smell it from right on my back? Why? Maybe they suffer from FOMO and wanted to reach the front at the same time as me? 

personal space shield

I Need An Invisible Shield

Anyway, since I don’t have balls (literally or metaphorically), or one of the contraptions in the pic above, I never ever say anything. I huff, puff, pull my handbag closer to me, shift my weight from side to side and maybe sometimes I will take a step back. But I never say anything. 

I don’t even like my own kids climbing on me, or hanging on me.

My husband and I don’t walk down the street holding hands or even cuddle on the sofa much. 

I don’t kiss or hug people hello if I can help it, unless I haven’t seen them for a long time and they’re really really special! Family are different! 

My point is that I would rather have my kids demanding my attention and climbing all over me than some stranger in the grocery store, but either way I generally just don’t like people in my space! 

What Can I Do About it?

I’m tempted to make flyers like this one (see pic below) and hand them out at queues in banks and supermarkets, and maybe even a few t-shirts that I can wear to aforementioned establishments! 

personal-space-invader

Maybe I’m the only one though … I never really see other people getting wound up about this. But just FYI – I like my personal space!

All photos sourced from Pinterest