Wednesday, April 7, 2010

"mr. + jetpack + kissy face" [search]

So there's stalking and there's curiosity. One kills a cat and the other can kill a relationship (if you get caught).

We all do it. Don't you lie, you totally do it! I call it stalking but I think, I really mean semi-harmless, behind the back probing. Yes, let's call it probing, the non-alien type of probing.

In my old days of stalking err probing, we're talking pre-social media, (I think we had Friendster but that site hardly counts) I literally had to take it to the streets in order to probe. It probably wouldn't be surprising to anyone that I'm not the smoothest lady out there. Can you imagine me when I was sixteen? Ridiculously less smooth. My probing methods were limited to obsessively checking Caller ID; trying to figure out if he had an AOL screen name and the ever popular, albeit extremely dangerous, drive-by with car full of giggling friends. There was one incident that sticks out strongly in my mind where I (age 16 or 17) drove-by the boy's house, oh, about 8 times, in a row. Not smooth and also not sneaky since I was spotted and identified. I'm glad high school is over.

I have been the subject of the stalk/probe. I had this college boyfriend (he's recently engaged but that's beside the point), Heavy-D, we'll call him. After we had been together for years he admitted to me that he had found out about my livejournal (yes, this internet thing is really a problem in my life) within our first few dates. This matters because I had written that our first date was so-so and I didn't really know if I wanted to keep seeing him. This could have deterred him. Then we wouldn't have had more dates. Then we wouldn't have had a long college love. Then I wouldn't have broken his heart. Then he wouldn't have run into the arms of his soon to be wife. I think I deserve a gift for that last one.

But Kristen, you say, this back-story is incredibly interesting but what's your point? My point is that I am trying really, very hard, not to internet-probe Mr. Jetpack. As you already know I am guilty of looking at his profile on Plenty of Fish for no reason other than an ego-boost. I may have also sent the link for it to a few friends who live out of town. A little bragging never hurt anyone, right? Luckily his real name (yes, sorry my wedded name will not be Mrs. Kristen Jetpack) is too common for productive googling, not that I tried (more than once). Then there is the facebook. I had not even considered it since it violates key aforementioned rules. Now that the idea is in my head I'm having a really hard time resisting. A simple type-type-search and tons of information.

I will resist, in the name of progress and maturing. I mean at least for a few more days.

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