Didn't we all learn this?

Keep your hands to yourself.

Isn't that something that you are taught at a young age? Your hands are full of germs. Almost all of the time. Even if you just washed them. The next thing you touch is probably covered in germs. Which means that your hands are again full of germs.

I'm really not a germaphobe. I'm not afraid to get dirty. You really can't be if you work or live with animals. But I don't go around touching everything either. I keep my hands to myself. I don't need to spread my germs around and I certainly don't need to pick up other people's germs. I keep my hands to myself.

It seems like common sense. So why is it that other people don't do this? Why do they think they should touch everything? They run their hands along the neatly folded towels in a store, they pick up dang near every piece of fruit in the produce department, and they touch people they don't know.

Last week I was at the mall looking for birthday presents for the nieces. I didn't find anything, but that's not the point. While I was browsing an older lady (maybe 50ish?) touched my belly and asked when I was due. Let's get something straight. I was not looking at baby clothes or any other baby stuff. I was not looking at maternity clothes. Nothing to do with pregnancy at all. I was shopping for my soon to be 11 year old niece. Yeah, I look pregnant but not obviously so. Sometimes the shirt I'm wearing has a lot to do with it. I sure as hell wasn't wearing anything that made it terribly obvious (like a Baby-On-Board shirt).

Anyway, so this lady can't keep her hands to herself. She has her hand planted on my belly and asks when I'm due. I turn to her and say I'm not pregnant. She quickly removed her hand and became flustered. I think she may have mumbled something about being sorry. I'm not sure. I just walked away.

Was it mean? Maybe. Was it funny? Hell yes. She was old enough to know better. Don't touch strangers. A good old hand shake aside (in which a hand is offered, not forced) you have no business touching people you don't know. I'm not real happy about people I know touching my belly. I'm certainly not ok with strangers and their germy hands touching me. I really hope that she learned a lesson.