Saturday, December 04, 2004

Personal Space

Recently we went on a boat to an island hideaway. Well, we went to an island for a Christmas party. The boat was a fairly new and quite large one – 2 decks and it carried about 200 people. However, downstairs their use of space was very efficient, because as you sat sitting facing the person opposite you, you basically had to open your knees and have their legs in between yours, or some permutation of the preceding.

This would be uncomfortable enough, without it being someone you didn’t know opposite you. In any case, I felt a bit uncomfortable about it all.

I then spent some time looking around at other people. They seemed to share my surprise and discomfort for a while, but then got over it. Perhaps we re-set our comfort zone for a short time, then re-set it later? I felt uncomfortable on the return voyage, but for less time.

In any case, it was interesting to see my reactions and those of the people around me.

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