Am I Creepy?

I don't mean to be. I'm curious and I like surprises. I guess that combination confuses, and occasionally, concerns folks.

I was in traffic again on the way home tonight (and on the way in! 2 1/2 glorious hours of traffic this morning-whoo hoo!) and I drove next to a car with another fun license plate! Tonight's plate read "SEAGYPSY". I thought this was pretty cool. Then, as always, my curious side took over and, as I had a good amount of time to sit with my thoughts, I started to wonder what would cause someone to get a license plate like that? Did they have a boat? Was "Mermaid" or "SeaWitch" taken already? I've never heard anyone refer to a Sea Gypsy anywhere before so of course my head was a spinnin'.

This is where "creepy" me kicks in. Just like Cat Lady, if I had the chance to meet the Sea Gypsy, I'd ask what the license plate was all about. I don't know why this is bad though. I know people are weary of strangers and after 9/11, we all, as patriots, must assume everyone is a terrorist.

But about two decades ago, it really wasn't "taboo" to approach a complete stranger and start talking to them. I'm a nice person, I certainly wouldn't approach anyone in an aggressive or excited manner, but yet when I share my desire to ask a complete stranger a question, I'm shot a look of utter disbelief. This drives Joe nuts actually, he hates it when I "make a scene" or fail to "control myself". But dammit, obviously these people put these license plates on their cars to be seen! So why wouldn't I ask? If you had something unique on your car or hell, even on your person, wouldn't you expect to get some questions every now and again about what all of that was about? If you don't have a desire to stand out, don't single yourself out through your actions or accouterments. And I don't think anyone that has a license plate like these would mind if a friendly person said in passing at a rest stop, hey, what's the story behind that license plate? Hell! I followed a dude in his car to ask him about his plate and he was perfectly cool with it!

On another "creepy" note; My desk at work, in fact at any job in which I've ever had my own "space", is quite decorated. I like being surrounded by fun, happy things that either evoke a fond memory, or make me smile throughout the day. Recently one of my co-workers gave me a tourism pamphlet that had a bunch of, for lack of a better term, super-random stickers inside. He knew I liked "kitschy" and decorative things so without a second thought, gifted them to me.

Now in high school we were not allowed to decorate our lockers with stickers. I got around that by turning every sticker I ever had into a magnet. My locker was covered from floor to ceiling and it was perfectly acceptable and a lot of passersby would look upon them in awe.

So, given my history with sticker-to-magnet transformations, I decided to create fun magnets from this pamphlet and even came up with the idea of randomly placing said magnets around the office. I thought it would be fun to occasionally put a magnet on a co-workers file cabinet for them to find the following morning. I'm the last person to leave the office every night so this would be extremely easily accomplished.

I put the first surprise magnet in someone's office at the beginning of the week and it took him about two days before he realized it was there. When he finally noticed, he asked me about it and when I confessed that, yes, I thought of you and put it in your office, he said he loved it and thought it was pretty neat. Mission accomplished!

Well I did the same thing with another co worker and unfortunately, their reaction was quite different. I was told they felt it was creepy and left them confused and concerned as to why someone would put something on their desk. Mind you, this magnet is smaller then a dime and was chosen specifically for this person because of something they have going on in their personal life (it's a super awesome thing so please don't think I'm a jerk or anything). But, it made them uncomfortable none the less and I was told I was creepy and should not consider continuing to "surprise" the rest of the office with these magnets.

I'm a little bummed because this is not what I expected. Granted, I assumed everyone would react as I would, surprised and tickled and curious, but that's a little presumptuous of me and this co-worker's reaction is proof of that. I will still turn the rest of the stickers into magnets, but I don't know if I will continue to surprise my co-workers with them now. I am still fairly new to the office so maybe I'll wait until they all "get" me and may not have such sensitive feelings towards one of my "surprises". We'll see. I suppose I could always just ask each of them whenever I come across a magnet I think they'd like. Who knows. I'd just rather avoid being labeled the office "creeper". We don't have one of those yet and I would never wish that title be bestowed upon me.

It's hard being a "unique" adult, which is why I still contend, I never agreed to become a grown up!