I was walking into the cafeteria minding my own business, when suddenly, one of my friends decided to rush towards me and give me one of the tightest hugs that I have ever received. I tried my best to pry her off of me, but I could do nothing to make her let go. Luckily, I was saved by the bell, literally, and she finally let go.

Friends that are ‘touchy-feely’ sort of people, can become annoying very quickly. Sure, showing affection once in awhile can be fun, but constantly being touched, poked, and prodded by that one person will eventually become too much to handle. I believe my personal space is “my bubble,” and while I am in my bubble, I do not like to be disturbed by any outside sources or people. Most of the time, I do a good job of defending myself from these sources by ignoring them completely, but eventually my guard weakens. When my guard is down, my friends do not hesitate to take advantage of the situation and bombard me with affection.

But lately, my life has been filled with friends that go out of their way to invade my personal space. I am close to these people because I enjoy their company and consequently they think that they have permission to invade my space whenever they please.

Occasionally, I do allow my friends to freely enter my space, however, they are very limited in what they can do. For example, a simple hug or handshake is allowed, but when someone goes further and hugs me too tight or holds onto my hand for an awkward amount of time, then the situation becomes uncomfortable.

Honestly, I am not as uptight as I appear. Although my bitterness for those that do not respect my boundaries is immense, my ability to forgive allows me to fit into the status quo and not be socially awkward.

Personal space should be a privilege that everyone is afforded, but whether that person chooses to be engulfed in that space, is their choice. I choose to be enclosed in this sanctuary where I am only bothered if I decide to be.