Listen, I’ve met people with agoraphobia. One of them was so afraid of the outdoors that he holed himself up in a tiny cabin in the Santa Cruz mountains for literally three years, venturing out only when enough of his friends spent days coaxing him out of hiding long enough to go to things like doctor’s appointments and group therapy sessions. It’s no joke. So I get a little irritated when you, my dear, cite your self-diagnosed agoraphobia as reason to not answer my text messages or phone calls or what have you. You might have anxiety issues, but stop pathologizing your lack of communication as some dramatic phobia that I’m pretty darn sure you don’t have.
I Saw You is an anonymous “man on the street” column. Email your rants and raves about co-workers or any badly behaving citizens to [email protected], or send to 380 S. First St, San Jose, 95113. Submissions should stick to about 100 words.