Forced Admiration

Don’t show pictures of your children/grandchildren to total strangers.  They don’t care, and it’s awkward.

It's one thing if someone asks to see your pictures.  Then, they've demonstrated interest.  But sitting down next to someone at the bus stop, whipping out a stack of pictures, and saying, "Isn't this the cutest baby EVER?!" is another story.  Everyone thinks their relative is the cutest baby in the world.  Not every baby can be the cutest baby in the world.  For the first few weeks, nearly every baby looks like Winston Churchill.  They all look the same - small, red-faced, and wrinkled.  There is only so many times I can smile, nod, and say, "Oh, look!  A baby!"

Worse, if you try to politely decline to look at the photographs, everyone acts like you're a monster.  I'm sorry, but riding public transit is one of the few minutes during the day where I do not have to do anything.  It's freeing.  It's wonderful.  I want to enjoy those moments and read Harry Potter.  I don't want to pretend I care about people I will never see again.  You're invading my personal space, and it's rude.