Over-share

The first days of class are usually a joke. You come, take roll if the class is small enough, do awkward intros, go over the syllabus and go. Things become a little more routine and annoying when your class is 3 hours long. Considering my focus in my program is only 22 people I have 2 classes with the same 22 people and the other 2 have ridiculous overlap. Thus, contrary to my usual tendency to forget someone's name within 20 seconds of meeting them, I know the names of at least 11 people in my concentration.

Brief example of my tragic tendency to forget names (but reassurance that I'm not the only one): Lifeguard office. Me and two other guards with one in the tower who isn't exactly a staff favorite. Boss walks in escorting new guard. Boss introduces us to the new guard and we all make eye contact, say hi and have a lil convo. We talk trash about guard in tower...inform new guard how not to suck...get defensive from boss...they exit. 1.5 minutes later we say we're so glad we have a new guard and then realize all 3 of us have forgotten his name. My guess was Mike or Aaron. We were all a little ashamed. A day or two later the three of us were together again and one guard had followed up with our boss, turns out the new guys name is Mark. The same as my dad. Shameful.

Anywho, one of the most annoying things about that is you have to hear people awkwardly introduce themselves. Find an "interesting fact" or "one thing you wish people knew about you" which is tough to do without sounding like an asshole. Then your professor tries to get you to know each other and get comfortable with each other...which is cool, but some people miss the memo that that doesn't quiiiiite mean you should share your deepest darkest secrets. It's called an over-share and the best way to get yourself talked about (confidentiality doesn't apply when you spill your guts within the first hour and aren't paying someone for it).

1. This week in class I learned that one classmate's father is a drug dealer

2. I sold a duvet on eBay and the woman questioned if I had the right address...I didn't but told her I hoped the address PayPal supplied was someone she knew who could get her the duvet (figuring it was her dad's account or something) and she wrote back saying that her husband had died suddenly and she and her sons had had to move to a smaller place. VERY sad story...but there is no appropriate way to respond because it was a little inappropriate to share.

3. Planes are the WORST. Sat next to a guy who showed me the diamond earrings and necklace he'd bought for his 13 year old daughter who he hadn't seen in a decade to see if I thought she'd like them.

3a. I can't even count the number of times I've heard people sitting next to each other flirt and reveal things like...having an illegitimate child...or just having left rehab...

4. Class is my favorite example of people NOT being subtle when they think they are. Like my grief/loss class, or when discussing substance abuse or other serious topics when people ask specific questions and are clearly upset and think no one has caught on. It's like in sex ed in high school when someone asks "if a guy ejaculates on your thigh can you get pregnant" and convinces herself people think it is hypothetical. NEWSFLASH: We know it happened to you or the person next to you who is bright red. Might as well own it.

There are so many examples in my life that I cannot think of where I am just caught so off guard my decency goes out the door and I literally drop my jaw like a codfish (if you get that reference you have deeper insight into my childhood). If you want to spill your guts I'm sure VH1 has a reality show they can cast you on.