Self Disclosure...scholars define self-disclosure as sharing information with others that they would not normally know or discover.

Day 3-- and it's Friday! Woohoo! Hats off to everyone who made it through a tough workday, work out, traffic, blah blah... we made it.

I go to bed worried that I may not have much to write about the next day, and then like clockwork something happens and like Batman, I say to myself "TO THE BLOG!"

Self disclosure... it's pretty self explanatory. Here's a definition I found online: scholars define self-disclosure as sharing information with others that they would not normally know or discover. Self-disclosure involves risk and vulnerability on the part of the person sharing the information. (http://www.abacon.com/commstudies/interpersonal/indisclosure.html) 

Have you ever met someone at work, school, in a group of friends, etc and they are immediately an open book? And not an open book in the sense they reveal semi-personal tidbits of info for the sake of a laugh, anecdote, or to add to a conversation (b/c that would be me, ha!) But these people are the kind that you avoid in the break room b/c if you make eye contact you are like chum in thePacific Ocean! Not only are you stuck talking to them when you need to be at your desk, or doing something else, but then they start revealing insight to their personal lives.. the kind of insight that you walk away wondering "Was that a cry for help?" I have a few people in my life like that, male and female. How do you deal with it? 

I am normally not one to decline a conversation, but there has to be a line drawn! If I am at my desk and typing, and looking at my computer screen---WHY do you feel the need to mumble something about your alcoholic boyfriend, and the run in your tights...?? WHHHHHYYYY? Then I am forced to look away from the "fjkwhrioehlsfhndslfiowhrioewh" I am typing on my screen to avoid you, to respond half ass to what you're saying--it's not fair to you or I... yet we keep doing this. There's another person I run into and within 15 minutes I am privy to know that they were a victim of attempted RAPE three times!!???!!

What am I supposed to do with that information?? How am I supposed to process that?? I have been told that I am an easy person to talk to... and that makes me SO happy, however; there's a line that should be drawn right? So, obviously I listen, provide a little feedback, and then thank them for sharing with me...but really...

Same goes for a few closer friends of mine who are okay with filling me in on intimate details of their relationship...I just feel like certain things are sacred? Maybe it's me..

So anyways, I guess this is for everyone out there who know what I am talking about ....and if you don't know what I am talking about... LESS IS MORE. 

Happy Friday... tick tock tick tock...till 5 o'clock! Here's a nice Friday song and picture:

 

A little more serious today: "Our roads may split and drift apart but we’ll always remain friends at heart..."

Some might know my love, or sort of addiction to quotes. If you use my computer and start typing something in the search bar--you'll usually find all sorts of prefilled searches for quotes. "Quotes about leaving home", "Quotes about laying around with your sister," and sometimes the occasional very wierd search, "What is it called when people have sex with dead animals?" That one is for my sister... she will get it. So anyways, I love quotes-- and I usually look them up when I am feeling a certain way, happy, sad, funny, smart, etc. I think you'll see where I am going with this post today, or maybe it's just proving what my mother said of my new love for blogging "Great psychotherapy."

Heregoes: I started to feel a little distant from my friends this past month or so, and while I know they understand that life moves fast, and we are all doing our best to keep up, something was still a little off. I did what I normally do when I feel that way, and sent a few texts, made a few phone calls, sent some e-mails... just wanted to extend a hello and let them know I was thinking about them. I also went to a few outings (birthdays, happy hours, movies, etc) I do what I can with the time I have, and that's the truth. I got a call from a friend the other day who was was feeling a little neglected, and to be honest it caused me a little heart ache. I, deep down, feel like I connect with friends and make it out as much as I can to a point that all parties are happy. Let's be honest, everyone who reads this knows I have a boyfriend... that I adore. I cannot wait to spend time with him, and rightfully so, he's the bomb.com and lets me be me. Enough said. So here's my dillema--

What constitutes as enough calls, texts, and get togethers with your gal pals to keep them feeling strong in your friendship?

Is there an equation that answers how much time per week should be spent with a friend congruent to your level of friendship, and dependent on how much $ you have, plus the remainder of time you have to spend with your family and boyfriend? See...it's hard.

With all that being said: I don't plan to lose any of the friends I have right now. They're in my life for a reason. I want them there... however; just as I understand that life happens quickly, and new love, new jobs, and new locations happen more often than not at this age--I also know that I am a great friend. When I am out, or on the phone, or texting: I give my all. I am always an open ear and heart, and I feel as time goes on it won't be so much the hours spent, but the quality in that time. I'm sorry today isn't as entertaining as might be expected... worry not-- the day is young...

Here's a little something to brighten everyone's day (and I've added a treat for my male contributor as well:

How Workplace Restrooms Can Lead to Temporary Mental Demise...

I'm not super sure how this 'blogging' is going to work, so please bear with me. I need to find a way to say what I feel without being too OPEN, or potentially hurting someone else. If there's going to be a blog about life scenarios, and situations (serious, not serious, etc) I guess I am going to have to learn! 

I will start with something light, a little gross, but not too serious...

Workplace Restroom Etiquette! Embarrassingly enough-- one of the things I have had to do a couple times at my 1st job is: plunge the toilet. Disgusting... really. I've done it b/c people have left the toilet that way, and I feel it's common courtesy. If I didn't take the liberty my HR manager would be doing, and since I kind of 'assist' her... I figured this might be an assistance to her. Still... really gross.

I had a serious mental trip about it one day too! I was thinking "Is this what I have reduced myself to? Have I irrevocably screwed up my life to the point where I am plunging someone's s*it??" 

So, here I am plunging this toilet, almost in tears because a) I am plunging a damn toilet with someone's excrement in it and b) my arms were getting sore thus confirming how out of shape I am and c) I have all these thoughts in my head about where I 'should' be and how low I felt. I know it seems like a lot, but I plunged for 15 minutes. (If you know me, this is enough time for me to cry, laugh, yell, and go to sleep).

Finally, I decided that the culprits, or usual bathroom-bombing suspects were not going to sit in their cubicles while I plunged. I went back to my desk and realized I work with people who might have serious stomach issues! Oh well, not for me to worry about--I had all this junk heavy on my mind about my life. Just as I am about to write a self deprecating status on Facebook, the owner of my company walks up with the plunger and says to me "I'm going to give it a shot, you tried right?" (enter disbelief here) I quickly ran up and walked with him over to the restroom... Ew, no I didn't stand over the owner while he plunged, but I heard him...he plunged for a good 10 minutes. He came back out and said "We need to call the handyman, that's beyond a plunger," or something to that effect... Really?? That's all? He didn't come to me crying about how screwed up his life was? He didn't need a therapy session? He didn't want to call his significant other crying? Or have a drink at 10am? 

So, in a matter of 30 minutes while I plunged and he plunged, I recalled how I quit going to school for a boy, I quit going to school for money, I quit living at home for 'freedom', and here I was: back at home, back in school, and plunging toilets. At minute 31 when the owner of my very successful place of employment was done plunging a toilet, in his office, the s*it of someone he employed, I realized that I let myself go right to a point of negativity and reflection and self loathing, while the owner was just doing what needed to get done....(novel concept, right?)

With that being said, I don't LIKE plunging now, and I definitely do NOT have an appreciation for plungers, but I do know: I am doing what I need to get 'it' done (in reference to my life) Pretty nuts what has to happen for me to ground myself sometimes....

I am coining the term: When life hands you a clogged toilet; plunge it.