something in common

case 1
Someone asked S.H. for a loan of a couple of hundred dollars. Not once, not twice but a few times via sms. So previous loans may have been repaid but well... they were not without repeat reminders.

case 2
Someone chided me for not inviting her over to my place. My reasons were cast aside, replaced by her opinion (unrequested by me) on why they were invalid. I didn't rebuke. Or rather couldn't bring myself to cos it would've been rude. Conversation ended awkwardly.

case 3
Someone somehow managed to get hold of my number and sent me anonymous cheeky messages that almost freaked me out even while I tried not to think much about it. I ignored them. Identity was later voluntarily revealed but not without a confidentiality disclaimer.

.............................................................................................................

The CSI bug got to me. Well at least, last night's episode did.

Out of the blue, something that was common in all three cases became starkly obvious to me. There was something similar between these 'someones' – They are all not technically friends. Neither to me nor S.H. in her case. And by that definition, I mean, they are people you do not meet and hang out with, do not keep in touch with and do not even know them intimately as friends to begin with. Basically, they are what the English dictionary would define as 'acquaintances'.

Is it just me or have people failed to see the boundaries and hence lost the judgment to pull themselves back from crossing the line?

It seems as though lines can be so easily blurred.
Between genuine desperate pleas for help and an incorrigible bad habit,
between a pushy, over-friendly tease and an inappropriate, unlikely expectation,
between a playful, cheeky hello and a turn-off greeting with vested interest...
Sometimes we just can't tell the difference.

But one thing to note:
These very things that fall within the blur can leave a distinct question mark in your mind.