Labels
Somebody at work told me today that they thought that I was a snob when they first saw me (notice I didn't say when they first talked to me). Just to give you some context, I am taking a Leadership course at work and there are a number of different faculties and departments represented in the course. We were having a small group discussion at our table about how others perceive us, and the topic of shyness came up. When I told everyone that I am painfully shy and have been very misjudged in the past, this individual (whom I only knew by name - we have never had the chance to actually have a conversation) took it upon herself to tell me that she originally thought that I was a snob and "stand offish", so she was really glad that she had the opportunity to get to know me through the course.

While I respect the fact that it can't have been easy telling me her thoughts, I still feel hurt when I hear things like this. It doesn't help that I know that it's the other people who are reacting to my quiet personality by concluding that I must be a snob or a bitch or whatever choice word you want to throw at me, because they are feeling uncomfortable. I try so hard not to judge people and stick labels on them until I get to know something about them (and then I can call them a bitch ;). I hate being shy - I wish that I could be comfortable in any social situation or be the centre of attention every now and then. But I've been like this my entire life.

The more I thought about it, the more it bugged me. In fact, it bugged me the entire day. Did she ever try to talk to me or get to know me? No - never. I find that this happens more than it should in my workplace. It's like a little highschool all over again, filled with gossip and cliques. And the sad part is that some of the worst offenders are the people that are at the "top" and who you have to impress. It's hard to even want to impress somebody when they don't impress you.

So for everyone that thought that I was a snob or a bitch when they first met me, pardon my social awkwardness. Thank you for taking the time to get to know me.