Hey, I'm In The Next Stall -- I Can Hear Everything You're Saying!

It’s never really a good idea to talk about the intimate details of business or people in public.  This is a lesson I learned when I was a very young girl.  One of my best friend's father was a tremendous role model, and I’ve never forgotten all the great advice he gave me while growing up.  Sometimes, when he would take us out for dinner, my girlfriend and I would naturally start to gab about anything and everything.  That's when he would remind us to NEVER talk about people in public.  He would often say, “you never know who is sitting at the next table.”  I fully understood his theory and have never forgotten those words since.  That being said, there are two women I encountered in a restaurant ladies' room recently who apparently need a quick, brief lesson from Aunt Carie.

TMI Alert:  I entered the ladies' room, walked into a stall, and locked the door.  At the same time, two women were talking to each other -- one was applying makeup at the mirror, and the other was in the stall next to me.  They were having a '"business-related conversation" -- and I’ll give you three guesses what business they're in.  Anyway, I listened to them chat about this property and that property -- and about this agent and that agent.  By the time I exited the ladies' room, I had heard my share of juicy gossip.  In my opinion, clearly not the appropriate conversation to be having at that particular time or place.

I had no clue who these women were -- nor did I know any of the players or properties of which they spoke.  Yet, the point is:  I inadvertently overheard sensitive and private information that was not meant for my ears -- nor meant for anyone else’s ears either.  Luckily, it will not develop into an uncomfortable situation for a lot of people.  But, it definitely could have -- and it was completely avoidable.