A is for Anti-stalking

Anti-stalking (verb) : the process of learning a person's routine in order to avoid them.

It's a relatively modern term, dating back to the 1990's. It essentially describes taking steps to counteract someone's efforts to always be in the same place as you (i.e., to stop them from stalking you!)

It's important to respect people's need for privacy.

Escaping Reality For A While

It was horrendous. Standing room only on the train this evening. Ugh!

Dozens and dozens of people, crammed together like sardines as the carriages lurched their way through the suburbs of South London. My arms ached with the strain of keeping myself still, as the movement of the train threatened to throw me into the lap of a fellow commuter. My legs ached as I strained to keep upright after a full day at work. No seat for me on the way home tonight. Yes, they'd cancelled the train before, overloading the next service that came in. The lack of personal space, of the comfort of seating, of fresh air, of any privacy at all.  It's simply the worst part of travelling in the London rush hour. I would rather be anywhere else.

And so, that's what I did.

I shut the rest of the world out. I imagined myself in the middle of a field somewhere, miles from anywhere. I could see the green grass, the trees, a stream off into the distance. A cool breeze gently brushed against my cheek. There was the sight of birds soaring in the sky, of rabbits under the hedgerows. Not another soul for miles around. Certainly, miles away from where I was at the moment...

It helped for a while. And they say there's no place for imagination in today's world.

I wouldn't leave home without mine.

The Obstreperous Environment Of An Open-Plan Office

I think that a couple of my colleagues were still in a bit of a playful mood after their weekend away. Don't get me wrong, they are great people, but tend to get a bit carried away when thinking of ways to improve things... Suddenly, they had a brilliant idea. Why not take away all of the dividers between the desks and make the office truly open-plan? Wouldn't that be great?

My heart sank.

My office can be such a noisy place at best of times. Can you imagine what work could be like without these dividers, designed to reduce the sound levels? These dividers give each individual a little bit of precious privacy, a chance for a break from distractions - and each can be 'personalised' somehow so that staff can get their own special workspace.

It doesn't bode well.

Open-plan offices are great for extroverts, people who thrive in more lively environments. These are the ones who say this will lead to better camaraderie, better communication. They love the buzz - even a radio in the background on certain days.

However, open-plan is not so good for introverts like myself. We need to be able to focus, and an open-plan layout simply means constant distraction - and yet another blow for privacy in the workplace.

There's already been some talk of talking it one step further, and of introducing 'hot-desking' - that's where employees don't actually have a fixed desk, but use a different one each day. (Incidentally, I understand the method now used for this practice in the US is "hotelling").

And there's even talk in our office of allowing more staff a chance to work from home one day a week - perhaps allowing more employees to be employed at fewer desks. That could well be the only positive in the whole idea...

I shall see how this progresses. 

Maintaining Privacy

"A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation." - Saki

This blog entry was inspired by a Bible Study session that the Corps offered recently on integrity. And the questions that buzzed around in my head afterwards were simple: should I lie to protect my own privacy? Surely everyone needs the right to privacy?

This has struck a chord with me personally. Yes, I've been teased, even ridiculed, for a couple of the things I have done in recent years. You know, things that were important to me. Friends and colleagues actually called me foolish; family members belittled me for taking a stand; failed to back me up when I stood up to be counted. I've even blogged about it before, here...

So, I must admit, that's why I avoid the criticism. If it's tricky, I don't tell them. Is that telling a lie? I'm simply carrying on doing what I think is right. And if I do deceive, am I doing it for the right reasons - simply trying to protect myself and my family?

So, where do I go from here? OK. I'm told I shouldn't lie - it's far more preferable to simply tell people "I don't want to tell you" when they ask. Or words to that effect. Perhaps I need to start going more public with it, open up, and hang the consequences...

Mmmm ... not sure how that one will go down ...

Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message)
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Leviticus 19:11 (NIV)
Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.

No Publicity!

Matthew 6:3 (New International Version)

"But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing..."

I find this phrase has particular significance to me at the moment. Picture the scene: you need to help someone, however your nearest and dearest proceed to kick up a fuss about it. Your relatives and friends try their best to prevent us from doing it. Perhaps for the best of reasons. They may feel we are going too far, doing too much. With the best of intentions they are there to save you from yourself. So, the answer from the Lord seems to be that you should do it anyway and keep quiet about it!

The passage from Matthew 6:1-13 (culminating in the well-known words of The Lord's Prayer) is not exactly teaching us what to do, but how to do it - without making a fuss or attracting too much publicity.  It's not telling us to be deceptive - to avoid the concerns of our loved ones - but to simply go about our work without fanfare or fuss. It's more a direct attack against hypocrisy, against an outward show in our faith without an inward commitment.  Remember, God knows what you do, and He has promised to reward us -  as a loving Father does to his obedient child.

Both faith and works should not be for fame or glory - but simply for Him!