PERSONAL SPACE

Personal space; a concept unknown to and misunderstood by many. It simply means not to stand uncomfortably close to someone, touching them when they don’t want to be touched or literally breathing down their necks. It’s irritating. And uncomfortable. And so very annoying! Girls and women suffer the most when it comes to personal space, because men somehow have it in their heads that women’s bodies are their property. News flash: women’s bodies belong to women and women alone.

On several occasions, while walking down the streets of Nairobi, I have been harangued by uncouth matatu conductors, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me to their waiting matatus like I don’t know where I’m going. I have also been in situations where I meet up in public spaces with my male friends then I find them with their boys, who come in for a hug like we’re bosom buddies since before Christ. Or even just standing in line at immigration at the airport and a random woman behind me rests her breasts on my back. Ugh. I hate that!

What’s the deal with those with no regard whatsoever for personal space? Have you ever considered how uncomfortable you would feel if a stranger got uncomfortably close to you? Same way guys don’t like sitting too close to the nduthi guy or don’t like the unnecessary touches from other guys is exactly how women feel when guys get unnecessarily close. Stop it. Stand a respectable distance away, until you’re invited closer. Keep some distance; imagine there’s an unseen thorny force field around the person in front of you and you may get zapped or pricked if you get too close; wait for them to disable the force field. Boundaries, please!