Being Ignored

It's late at night, and I'm getting this terrible feeling that no one would ever be interested in me. That I'm a condemned book whose poor condition and obscure contents warrants a stashing away in the attic of a library where only moths and silverfish frequent.

I'm feeling like a jilted lady on the dance floor, where men only ask me to dance because they were approaching my direction with the intention of inviting my friend, only to see her whisked away by another and creating that uneasy embarrassment that forces their pride to do what they would not have otherwise.

I'm feeling like a man who took half a night to built up his courage to ask a lady I fancied to dance, only to have her eyes on another much better looking stud dancing beside us.

When social dancing, there is nothing one abhors more than a release of contact at the end of a song without a minimal "thanks, that was great", "sorry I didn't get your name", or even a smile. It's even worse than dancing with a rhythm-deaf person with bad breath and a strangling grip. Basic etiquette amongst the human race saves us the emotional pain of such direct, truthful behavior.

Of course, there are people who claim they would rather dance with the rhythm-deaf-bad-breath-strangling-grip person. But the Pharisee within me reserves a certain amount of despise for them, even when I know I shouldn't. Being ignored, in my opinion, is far worse than being with someone you don't really like. It's different from being alone, which is necessary for soul development and self-reflection.

All of us are vulnerable, some more than others. It is times like these that I wish I could meet someone else who's feeling equally ignored and low on confidence to perk up right now, just so I can get rid of that "being ignored" sensation.

But isn't it always the moment when we think everyone is asleep that we suddenly feel that no one cares?


Worse still, doesn't one feel guilty when craving for attention, because our religious leaders recognize that as a sign of moral retardation?


The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. -Oscar Wilde

I was brought up to never demand for attention, because to do so would be tantamount to deserving none. -Valentino Casanova