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Please respect me as I respect you.
By Dave Whitaker
Jan 31, 2021, 23:39

I am emotional, expressive person. I like hugs from friends, I'm expressive. High-fives, a pat on the shoulder to congratulate someone (or offer sympathy), it's who I am.

But as a local public figure as a reporter, I've had to learn to respect boundaries. Even before COVID hit, I've tried to be careful of who I touch, who I hug. My general rule of thumb is that if I don't know the person well, the most I'll do is shake hands, bump elbows, you get the idea.

That brings me to Saturday. During the day, someone came up to me and pinched on my arm. It was while I was working. This person smiled. He may've known me. After all, I'm out in the public a lot.

The thing is, I didn't recognize him. Being honest, I couldn't care less about him "not meaning any harm." I feel disrespected. That my personal space was violated. I'm legitimately angry over what he did.

If you want my attention, speak to me. If you want to express yourself, shake my hand. I'm running a business, trying to be respectful of others. I'm asking to be treated with that same respect also.

Basically, it comes down to this. Unless you're sure that I know like you know me, please don't touch me. Not like this person did. Thanks for reading and for your continued support.

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