Questions are very special and necessary with respect to communication, but there are some things people don’t want to share with you.

There are the clearly inappropriate questions of the world, and there are also subtle questions that can be left unanswered.

I find it interesting that we all know the questions not to ask a stranger, yet someone always asks any way.

Sure, the first few moments of meeting a person can be really difficult and there is usually an unusually high level of awkwardness between you that can only be abated by casual small talk. Sure, there’s a lot you don’t know about this person, but avoid the need to ask too many background details. Strangers don’t need to know your goals, dreams, aspirations, ethnicity, weight, religious affiliation, political tendency, or past relationships right off the bat, unless of course that’s what brought you together in the first place.

Sometimes, I get asked questions about myself or my future, but I don’t even know the answers to them and it’s the worst. I’ve only planned my life up to a certain point. As it stands, I’m going to go to college, play lacrosse, learn a lot of important lessons on life and then graduate. After that, maybe it’ll be more school, eternal blackness, finding a job, or run away and join the circus to be a bearded lady. I don’t know.

Instead of asking about the future, some choose to prod into your past. It’s not so terrible because I personally look exactly like what my ancestors are, eastern European, specifically Lithuanian. It’s not perfectly clear for everyone though. The thing to remember is that not all Asians look alike. Don’t make that mistake.

Always avoid the topic of weight (it’s a pretty heavy subject). “How much do you weigh,” is a loaded question. I’m just thick and tired of people being self-conscious about the matter. It’s fine to be someone that doesn’t like food going to waist and it’s also fine to push that annoying question out of the weigh.

One thing about living in Colorado Springs is that you don’t typically have to guess what religion people are part of. Whenever asked this question, and honestly answering, there’s a debate that follows, followed by who is more morally sound and then an attempt at conversion. I’m sorry, but I wasn’t expecting this brief elevator ride to turn into a mobile mission trip.

Sometimes we ask questions that are just too personal. For instance, “when was your first kiss?” Even, “how do you organize your underwear drawer,” is a tad personal.