Well this is going to be a fun musing, as it is all about stalkers! Have you ever had one? Well I have, or maybe I have had a few over the years and probably some I am not even aware of, which might be the worst thought of all. While I know this is a topic not to joke about or even jest about, I do feel like today’s social media has made everyone into a basic voyeur in some way, whether you realize it or not. The more information you share, the more people want to know, then they feel as if they know you or think they know you.
This is where the problem comes into play, there is clearly a difference between online personas and daily lives. A difference between being “on” in the public eye and who you are in the the privacy of your own home. So when people approach you at the market and recognize you, when you are not expecting it, you might be caught off guard. While I am no superstar, this has happened to me and I always am happy to, and gracious to, meet people but sometimes it can be a bit much.
To give you an example, I have actually had people come up to my home and ring the doorbell just to wanting to see the inside of my home during the holidays. Meanwhile my entire family was all inside celebrating. Our home is constantly being photographed, so heaven forbid I be outside in something less than attractive who knows where that could possibly end up.
Last week our home surveillance system caught a drone, which landed in our front yard after dark, to shoot photos through our windows. I mean, if you really must see me making boxed macaroni and cheese for dinner, then go for it, but seriously it is not like I am Brittany Spears or anything. I mean, I met her a long time ago, but that is all folks! Seriously, nothing to see here!
So stalking has simply gotten out of control, in my humble opinion. Why is anyone entitled to know everything you are doing all the time? I remember back in the day when you had to find a pay phone to make a phone call, or wait for the newspaper or magazine publication to release that killer story, now it is just a Tweet away! “I am eating Macaroni and Cheese from a blue box, earth shattering!” I am not sure I really like where our technology has gotten us, and I find myself questioning this more and more with each passing day.
A few years ago I found that I had a full blown stalker. As in, knew things about me from Google searches which is fine, whatever; but then there was the more personal stuff. Like always showing up places where I was at, randomly bumping into me while shopping, wanting to see what I had in my cart, to the point I thought this individual was taking photos of my cart with their camera phone. They would try to make up reasons to try to come over to my home all the time, like they needed to drop something off or needed to borrow something. We did not have this type of relationship at all. Honestly they should not have even been asking to borrow anything from me, it was very awkward. I finally just had to completely ghost this individual, and could not even be cordial or nice at all; because being just a little bit nice lead to her thinking we were BFF’s some how?
I also had a stalker that had friends get jobs at my bank, so they could learn all about my finances. It wasn’t until they let some information about it slip, and that they knew when and where my deposits came from, that I realized my very personal financial information was being leaked. I mean there is noisy and then there is just this type of behavior, which is insanity. Why does it concern you how I pay my mortgage?
I also find some of the newer algorithms to be very intrusive as well. I know that from a marketing stand point, I have been told that our online usage is constantly tracking what we watch, shop, and view so ads can be pushed to us accordingly. I have also noticed that you get ads for things people around your are looking at as well, as if you are all some weird like minded heard of sheep. “Oh this bloke needs ball wash, lets send ads to everyone he knows for ball wash! ” Well let me just give you an update my “proverbial balls” are clean as a whistle, and I do not need your damn ball wash like the nasty perv next door, that is just trying to score a handy from his wife that probably does not want to wash his damn balls either!
Speaking of neighbors I also had a video of a neighbor returning my mail to my post box, which I understand accidents happen and the post can easily get mixed up. However the letter, that was returned was opened and half halfheartedly resealed with a purple glue stick. It just happened to be a handwritten letter to me from a family member, which seemed like a bit of coincidence to me. While I understand that mix ups happen, in light of some of the other stalker scenarios that have happened over the years, I think I would rather air on the side of caution with this incident as well.
As I have already said, I am not sure why people feel like they deserve to know every little thing about another person. Basic things, yes I completely understand, but in all honesty I have always aired on the side that I am really not that interesting. So, why on earth would you even want to know this stuff. Then I was talking to a friend of mine, that was all into those “true crime shows” and she was telling me that this is a new trend and that people like to study others human behaviors. I had never really thought about it before, which of course, made me start watching all the true crime shows as well, and now I am hooked. I do agree I can see the allure of the shows and why there are now so many people looking for hidden psychos next door, which I know those completely exist, heck they are in our family so we do not have to look very far! Maybe I should just provide the forwarding address of these family members and let these people stalk each other, since they seem to all be on the same fucked up page? That seems like my brilliant answer for today, be careful what you wish for people because you just might get it!
Am Watching You,
Veronica J