QUESTION:

Are private conversations OVERHEARD in public... fair game?

What do I mean? I was (as usual) in the supermarket with Dylan a couple of days ago and as usual, we were deep in some dumbo-jumbo discussion; and this in our usual loud, excited voices... (This is after all one of our most amusing pastimes?)

At one point he said "Mum, you know my answer to fat. Stop stuffing your mouth and you won't get a fat ass!"

Now... Under normal circumstances, his last loud burst of words would have melded into the overall passing commentary which takes place there as we trawl the aisles looking for new stuff to laugh about... Like NO Sugar Coke- really just a re-branding of a failed product haha?

But. He said it in the middle of an aisle where... a group of three overly-shapely women were shopping together with already bursting trolleys. He said it in a very loud voice- that last bit?

Suddenly our way was blocked by the three trolleys and the three now very angry overly-shapely women. One, in particular, had chosen that day to go shopping in her gym-wear. (Black leggings and a tight upper-side... leaving very little to the imagination- and... what's with the new trend of leggings with cut-out bits exposing flesh huh?) She glared as though we'd singled her out and said "YOU'RE FAT!" over the Public Address system.

We did our usual thing: Turned about and ran. Trouble was, this happened just after the fresh produce area and as is the layout, we had to visit almost every aisle to get our shopping done. And at every aisle... there they were- blocking our path. Glaring.

"Mum, that had nothing to do with them! We were talking about the fat content of fries!"

"Yes, but they didn't know that?" (Me trying to justify?)

"Look around."

I looked around. Plenty of overly-shapely shapes. Plenty of overly-full trolleys with... fat foods. In fact more of those than any other variety. That private 'bomb' of his would have landed us in trouble no matter what aisle he'd dropped it in.

"Was a private conversation," he added. "If they choose to own it, their problem."

Could I argue with the kid? Nope.

So if you overhear something- and it's not directed at you but you choose to make it about you- do you then have the right to glare and pass judgement? (And block aisles?)

I ask.

These days of diminishing privacy and the spotlight always on every movement, every word- is there such a thing as a private conversation anyway? I see people on phones: Walking the streets and talking as though no one can hear them- yet everyone can!

Have our lives become so intertwined/interconnected that we have no 'right' to voice our opinions- and must we fear being overheard and face having these 'private' thoughts/opinions owned by strangers?

Have you encountered anything similar? What was the outcome?