MetaChat - Accidentally outing someone.

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30 December 2008

Accidentally outing someone. So I was chatting with the spouse of an old friend I had discovered on Facebook, and recommended a book for him. His wife responded, "Oh, he hasn't read anything since college."→[More:]

So I responded, "Oh yeah, I forgot he had dyslexia or something." Because someone told me a long time ago that he had a learning disability.

So she responds, "Hahahahaha! You have a great sense of humor!"

Now I'm wondering if I "outed" his LD to his wife. They've been married 23 years.

post by: craniac at: 12:53 | 8 comments

I wouldn't worry about it.

posted by amro 30 December | 13:37

I might say, if I chatted with her again (online? ftf?) "if I put my foot in my mouth, or touched on a sensitive subject, etc. etc. the other time, I apologize. . ."

Pre-emptive apologies can be helpful at times.

posted by danf 30 December | 14:04

Were you asked to keep this information a secret? If not then nah, you're not responsible for the dynamics between husband and wife. If she can't deal with this news, then they have much bigger problems than an old friend talking about books.

posted by Melismata 30 December | 14:38

The internet needs certified "emotional notaries" to tell me what to do in situations like this.

posted by craniac 30 December | 14:41

Weird. I like her response though, sounds like she'll not take any notice of it. Don't worry about it.

I outed my grandfather once, who had been married to my grandmother for almost 60 years at the time of the outing. Can't remember what we talking about over dinner but I said "Oh yeah, I know a guy who had to bike all the way to his hometown church to get baptized so that he could .. (get married)" I never completed it because my grandfather was kicking my shins like mad under the table! Grandma doesn't know that he got baptized at 23 in order to be able to marry her in church!

So yaknow, married couples keep the weirdest things from each other.

posted by dabitch 30 December | 16:11

OMG dabitch, that's ADORABLE! I'd want to know that, if I were grandma. :)

posted by sakura 30 December | 16:55

Now I'm trying to think what secret I'll keep from my husband for 60 years.

I'm addicted to chocolate! Oh wait, he knows that already.

posted by desjardins 31 December | 01:26

I'm not telling Mrs. Doohickie about how I made money for college as a gigolo.

I kid! I kid!

posted by Doohickie 31 December | 11:30

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