Guys... what's wrong with people?
One of my friends from the office - let's call her "Lucy" - told me a horrible story the other day. She was walking down the hall when another (female) coworker stopped to ask her a question. That question. The one that (I thought) every woman knows you never ask.
"Lucy... are you pregnant?"
Now, just so we're clear, Lucy's an average-sized woman. Not scrawny, but most definitely not overweight in the slightest. Average. Even if she were overweight, this question still wouldn't have been appropriate, but Lucy's average size makes the question even more unbelievable.
I encountered similar stupidity a few months back at the hands of a sales clerk. As she rang me through, she asked if I was expecting. Horrified, I told her (in as bitchy a tone as I could muster) that I was decidedly not expecting... and she didn't even apologize! Instead, she told me that she had asked her sister-in-law the same question a few weeks back, and that her sister-in-law was very upset with her. Yeah, no sh*t, lady!
In case you're ever unsure as to whether or not you can make a comment about someone's possible pregnancy, I've put together a handy decision tree to help you out.
See? Couldn't be easier. If there's any doubt: Keep. Your. Mouth. Shut.
After Lucy's run-in with the rude coworker, we made a list of the other rude personal questions we hate being asked:
- "When are you going to meet a nice boy and settle down?"
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"Why are you still single?"
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"Why aren't you two married yet?"
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"Why aren't you pregnant?"
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"Why don't you have kids yet?"
For all these questions there are so many possible answers - none of which are anyone's business. And I hate the implied judgement that there's something wrong with being single/unmarried/childless. Isn't it possible that someone might be single by choice? Or not want children?
Is it because we now put so much of our lives online that people feel comfortable questioning us (and imposing their judgements) on some of the most personal aspects of our lives? Or has it always been like this?
Sigh. End rant.
