Life’s little etiquette conundrums..

I’m pretty sure that Reader’s Digest subscribers come across this title once in every month. I borrowed the title from them.. Because I couldn’t think of any other title without any bitterness.

I take things to heart, and therefore even little things like a word or gesture is more than enough to hurt me and make me fret over for days. This is applicable only to things and people I care.

Recently, I found out that one of the teachers, who taught me at school, had not yet accepted my friend request. And yes, I did see this teacher as an important person, and was surprised at this. It must have been atleast a year since I send her the request.

Asking around, I did find the reason. I framed my request in inappropriate terms. As opposed to being a student, when she read my request(you have an option for letting a person who you are when sending a request), she got the feeling that I was in an overly friendly manner, like a familiar friend. Unfortunately I cannot remember the exact wordings I wrote..!!  What I remember is along these lines “ hello maam, how are you? Hope you are doing fine. ”  But definitely there must have been more to it, which must have offended her. Did I mention I do hope you remember me?? I have no idea. But what I do remember is that I did spent quite some time on that request, composing it. Maybe I should have send the request and ended it there..!!

Nevertheless, I was really hurt. And thinking back, there was this incident in which I came straight across her, at the school gate and she completely ignored me. I did try to make her look at me, so that I can smile and say ‘namaste teacher’, but she didn’t even acknowledge me being there. I thought then, that maybe it was because she was late, and there must have been a number of things going around her mind, but now I think it may be because of this request stuff (it’s quite funny, how you think you must have forgotten some things, but at the correct moment they come up.. this usually goes for unexplained stuff, things that was not resolved before..!).

Needless to say, right now I am little mad at her, because she is a grown up and above it a teacher. Maybe she could have messaged me directly reprimanding me, or said something to that effect on that school gate situation, but instead she decided to, I don’t know, give me the silent treatment?? Seriously??!! Had something like that happened I would have emerged wiser, and would have forgotten all about it then and there. Instead, I am sitting here, boiling over, trying to remember what exactly did I write, which offended her so much..!!

And wondering whether I should apologize for it..! But what exactly do I apologise for, and seeing that she did not indeed care enough to correct me, should I care enough for apologising..?I’ve been thinking about it for over a week now and  I reached the conclusion that I do not , maybe she isn’t meant to be in the high pedestal where I used to put her in.