It both amazes and amuses me how some people have little qualms about letting total strangers in on personal stuff about their lives. Case in point ..

I was at the bank this morning – not an everyday occurrence for me, given the recent popularity of this fabulous thing called e-banking. I took a number – a big, red 59 -- and sat down among rows of people waiting to transact their business with the tellers.

As I was settling in my seat, number 48 was being served. I took notice of this stocky middle-aged woman dressed in a loud floral blouse and tacky bling-bling.. She was going on and on about how her father was undergoing dialysis while she was single-handedly paying for the hospital bills. Never mind that the whole east side of the client lounge could hear. Never mind that her poor friend, who was on the receiving end of her story, seemed embarrassed by the stares directed towards them.

I was too busy watching her performance, along with everyone else, that I almost didn’t hear number 54 being called.

About that time, this fairly fashionable woman in her late 20s just came in. She furiously waved her arms, trying to grab the bank teller’s attention. Apparently they were old friends.

Bank Teller : Oh, hi! How are you?
Waving Woman : Great! Just got married this year. What about you?
B.T. : Married too, with kids. One boy and one girl. Still work at
(company name)?
W.W. : No, I resigned just last month. The pay wasn’t too good.
Have you heard about Dina?..

And so went another unwarranted eavesdropping session for me and everyone else within their 5-meter radius. It was like being forced to listen to loud annoying music blaring from a neighbor’s window.

Gossip may sometimes be a nasty little indulgence, but broadcasting one’s private life to total strangers? That, to me, is bewildering.

But then again, I forget.. I keep a blog. :J