TMI

For all of you that skipped 6th grade (or have chosen to move past it... still working on it myself, nbd.)

TMI = Too Much Information. 

TMI is what I get more often than not when taking phone calls. Example? 

Well this morning I was speaking with a woman who was trying to schedule a deposition. All was fine and dandy until she added,

"Oh and if I don't answer, please do leave a message, I've REALLY gotta jump in the shower and start to get ready for the day." 

Uh Great. 

Now I'm imagining this lady in her pink footy pajamas, hair all matted and greasy, no make-up on and sleepies in her eyes.  ....Wait! I want the image of her sitting behind a desk, fresh from her morning perfume, wearing dress pants, a fitted suit coat and red heels back. 

Also, how do you respond back to that? 

"Eww gross lady, don't you have the courtesy to clean yourself up before you start making business calls??" 

Probably not the most appropriate. 

So I went with, "ha well great, ...pause... uh wow yeah I'll just have them leave a message.  Thanks."  The awkward approach, always a winner right?  This may not be that bad to offer up information on where you are at on your morning routine, but it certainly took me by surprise.  

Remember how every adult you have encountered during your teen years would tell you,

"You better be careful of (Choose one: Texting, MSN, My Space, Facebook, Internet) because people are more comfortable with that barrier and will say things they would never say in person." 

-or-

"These contraptions are desensitizing people and allowing them to be bold without facing the immediate consequences." 

Well this is all true to some extent, but very true when it comes to giving out personal information.  On multiple occasions people have opened up to me over the phone and shared a few of the following:

1] how their husband is abusive;

2] how they hate living with their in laws because their body odor is atrocious;

3] that their family traces back to ye olde times to when they were extremely rich until some peasant stole their money and now each generation has had to suffer in poverty;

4] or that their intimate life has been extremely interrupted and here is how: (censored for good reason). 

Wow wow wow wow wow.  WAY TMI!  Usually I'll get these explanations when I'm asking for the doctor's name or even what the date of the accident was... so of course I guess I can't complain because those responses are perfectly normal to these questions right?

It just proves that all we need is someone to listen to us jabber on about whatever we need to get out.  Very similar to what I'm doing now to you....?   As human beings we need to communicate.  Fortunately, I'm just here to listen and provide uh huh's and aaahh I see's when necessary.  So if you'd like my self help hot line, go ahead and dial 4's until you can't dial anymore.  I can happily provide an attentive silence which will give you more than enough room to spill your guts on. 

P.S. Sarcasm was sprinkled heavily throughout this post with absoluetly no intention to offend. Any personal information referrenced or given has been fabricated but stemmed from real life events.