A few friends came round for dinner and commented on the fact that I have a lot of pictures of myself displayed in my bedroom. They said it came across as self-centred, and one person even suggested I should take them down, saying they would call the police if I didn’t.
I have been thinking about whether they had a point and whether having lots of pictures of myself in my bedroom could genuinely come across that way. I can understand that everyone has different tastes and that some people might prefer a more neutral or less personal space.
At the same time, I live by myself and I’m single at the moment, so my bedroom is a personal space that reflects me. I do have pictures of my adult children displayed around the rest of my house, but the pictures in my bedroom are of my own memories, experiences, and moments that are important to me.
I don’t want to dismiss how others might see it, and I understand that not everyone would choose to decorate their bedroom the same way. But I was hurt by the way it was presented, as it felt more like criticism than a genuine conversation. What upset me most was that not one person stepped in and said they understood my point of view or that I had a right to have my own choices in my own home.
The situation ended up turning into an argument because they kept telling me to take the pictures down and I chose not to. They then said that if I wasn’t going to remove them, they would leave.
Am I wrong for having pictures of myself in my own bedroom, or is it reasonable to want my personal space to include things that make me happy?