Work with me here.

Let’s just get this out there: I am not against public displays of affection (hereafter called PDA). Holding hands. Hugging. Kissing. All OK in public. To a point.

I am adamently against the PDAs that make others present feel uncomfortable and unsure of where to look.

What brought this sudden annoyance with PDA, you ask? Well, it seems that I am a magnet for overly affectionate couples. Yesterday, while out Christmas shopping at Nashville West, I dropped in to a Ross Dress for Less, because A) I always find cute shoes there and B) thought there might be some good buys hidden there that might spur my creativity on some gifts I need to get. While waiting in the forever long line to purchase the few things I did find (sadly no shoes!), I was behind a young couple, probably a little older than me. The woman walked up, and they started nuzzling each other. Nuzzling, I tell you. Faces pressed into each other’s necks. Then came the back-rubbing, and finally, the husband cupping his wife’s butt.

It. was. not. OK.

I, along with random others in the line, didn’t know where to look. So we all just kind of stood there awkwardly, trying to find at some random spot on the wall, floor, or our shoes to look at.

Then came today. I went to Moe’s with a friend for lunch after church. I should have known that things were going to be weird when we got in line behind a bunch of people dressed like an emo band. I commented to Mindy that I felt like I was in a dream in which everyone dressed like FF5 except for me. After a short and somewhat enjoyable conversation about “The Office” with the guy in line in front of us, we started to notice the interaction between said guy and his girlfriend.

First, he got way into her personal space, leaning over and singing random tunes into her ear, just loud enough that we could hear him. Then, he backed her up against the sneeze guard, put his hands on both sides of her face, squished her cheeks together, and started kissing her. Numerous times.Weird. A little over the top. We won’t talk about how he couldn’t keep his hands off of her.

See, I get it that they like each other. Heck, I even understand it. I just don’t need to see exactly how much they like each other displayed in a public venue.

I don’t think displaying affection for someone is a bad thing, but when your excessive displays of affection make everyone around you uncomfortable and unsure of what to do, you may have crossed a line.

I’m just saying.