This may seem like a dumb thread but it is something that I noticed recently and made me think.

A few days back someone facebooked a photo taken of a group shot, and I noticed yet again I am standing on the edge and there is a bigger gap between me and the nearest person. It's happened before, yet at the time it was taken I felt I was maybe standing too close, looking at the photo that's so obviously not so.

I was concerned I might be standing too close and particularly as that person was a man (just an acquaintence but I did not want to be improper plus also my husband gets jealous so I am mindful of my behaviour around other men).

It's just a little thing but it made me feel sad, and a bit odd one out - everyone else is standing closely together. Maybe I have poor spatial awareness but it didn't feel like I was so apart yet clearly I was.

I think it underlies that I do still hold myself apart from others (those who have read my other posts will know I had literally no friends for a good part of my adulthood). Not sure if I can close that gap metaphorical or otherwise - sometimes wish I wasn't so odd.

I don't think you're odd. I'm wondering how close these people were emotionally speaking, and how close you felt to them? I hope you don't feel too badly. Maybe they're the weird ones. Lol.

[Sunflower123]

I do that as well. I don't think you are odd. In my case, I just have a bigger area of personal space and it's uncomfortable for me to be herded together like cattle for a picture. I don't think I'm odd...it's just not my favorite thing to do. Best wishes.

[healingme4me]

Could also be symbolic of not wanting to explain things to your husband?

Thanks everyone.

Starry thanks for saying you don't think I'm odd. I think my negative language goes back to high school bullying. You're right these people aren't emotionally close but are a friendly crowd.

Jennifer yes I think it may be my zone too. I get flustered in supermarket queues when people push up too close.

Healing I definitely think there's something in that, I have been questioned by my H a few times and it's something I want to avoid. I notice my H said nothing when I showed him the photo so he either did not notice the foot gap or didn't find it noteworthy.

[The_DollMage]

Originally Posted by prefabsprout

I was concerned I might be standing too close and particularly as that person was a man (just an acquaintence but I did not want to be improper plus also my husband gets jealous so I am mindful of my behaviour around other men).

I would just like to point out that your husband would getting jealous over you standing close to another man does not seem like a good sign. Has he said something in the past that has led you to believe this or are you just trying to avoid a confrontation in any way necessary? I feel like this is something you should focus on and ask yourself.

Thanks, yes DollMage pretty much from the word go he was possessive of me, it has been a feature of our life together. Other than that we have a good supportive relationship. I'm not saying a photo of me standing close to another man would trigger him to feel jealous but think it's something that played on my mind without me knowing.

Interestingly yesterday a male friend jokingly commented (in person not facebook) on how far apart I was standing from the rest and I explained I had not noticed until afterwards and it had troubled me.

So we looked through some other group photos on my profile and noticed a few with women where I was closer (shoulder to shoulder), it was only the ones near men where I stood back (about a foot).

He told me not to worry that it was very understandable for a married woman to not stand close to an unrelated male, so it was good to get his perspective.

I feel a lot better about this now.