"Eavesdropper" - Just Jot January #JusJoJan #nosey #lurker

Who here is a Nosey Nellie? 

​*raises hand slowly*
 
It's okay. It is. This is a safe space. Come join my eavesdropping, nosey, lurker support community.

Hi, I'm Angela, and I am nosey, ​I am. I will tip my head a little closer to the hushed conversation, or turn down my music when two higher-ups enter the office and begin to talk business. 

Perhaps, instead of being called an eavesdropper or Nosey Nellie, we need to give ourselves a better title -- Silent Information Gatherers. That's it. That is what we are...gathering information! Yes, yes. Let's go with that. 

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Because believe it or not, there are some positives to being this way. For example: By having our ears and eyes open, we are attentive and aware in our surroundings. Because when we sit just on the outskirts of conversations, we gather bits and pieces we otherwise would know nothing about. We get glimpses into other peoples lives, which connects us to one another even more, providing more empathy. It also allows us to observe without pressure. These are the positives IF done right. A good spin, right?

Okay, I am also fully aware that being a Silent Information Gatherer comes with its downfalls, too. The risk of misinterpretation, hearing only fragments of a conversation, and of course the guilt of blurring the lines between being a casual observer and that of intruding on someone's private moments. The moral dilemma of it all! 

So, what are we Silent Information Gatherers to do?  Do we rally around one another and provide support, realizing there are more of us that eavesdrop than just ourselves and we are not alone? Do we come up with a plan to be better? CAN we get better? And if so, HOW? 

Or am I just plain alone in this? All by myself. 

Either way, alone or not, I will strive to do better, because I don't want to be a creepy old lady...even if it does have its perks at times :)

Leave a comment and let me know where you stand on this topic of "Eavesdropping." Is it normal? Do a lot of people do it? Do you do it? Or how can one avoid it. Leave me a tip or two. I'd love to know! 

Just Jot It January by Linda G. Hill.
​Today’s prompt, "eavesdropping", was suggested by ME :)

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