2/11/2021 Week 6: Personal Space

 If you would have walked into my teenage bedroom that I shared with my sister, you would have seen a line of duct tape splitting everything right down the middle. 

Even though we were less than a year apart, we were polar opposites. Her side was painted pink and covered in posters of pop stars and popular actors. My side was painted a dark purple and had quotes from books I read hanging everywhere or posters from Indie or foreign films I watched. One day I hung up a vision board collage I made and the next time I walked in the room a big chunk of it had been cut off. My sister felt like she was completely justified in doing this because it clearly crossed over into HER SPACE! 

I've grown out of my angsty teen phase, and my sister has grown out of destroying my things. However, that memory is a reminder that personal space is something that is valuable and should not be invaded. 

The above image comes from an article about personal space ownership. This is a great visual reminder of how much "bubble" to allow others. I am from the southern United States and these zones can get a little blurry for us here. We tend to hug strangers and it is not uncommon to put a hand on someone's arm when we are speaking to them, even if we just met. There is even a saying:

For me, I need the reminder that many people do not like it when I invade the friend/personal zone and if I move all the way into the intimate zone, that really puts them off. While having a more fluid set of zones might be the norm in the south, it is not the standard in most parts of the western world. 

This idea brings me back once again to a common idea that I have had while thinking about culture and the misunderstandings that can come from cultural differences. That is to expect the best and communicate! If I don't know how someone feels about something or if I feel like I might be sensing something off, I should ask. And when it comes to personal space, asking before moving into a closer zone is always a good option.