Dithered about putting this just in chat... Maybe should have but it feels like classic male/female socialization so I'm here instead. Would appreciate any thoughts...
There is a man I used to work with, two decades ago when I was a recent graduate. We worked together in the same department for about a year. He's about a decade older than me, we had no particular friendship but did socialise out of work as a group - after work drinks, the odd bbq, nothing else.
Over ten years ago, after about ten years with no contact at all, I got an email from him - sent to a group, not just to me - saying that he was about to kill himself and that 'the fact this will mean nothing to you is one of the reasons I am doing this.' I sent him a fairly angry reply and heard nothing else - although one of the other recipients told me he hadn't harmed himself.
Over the intervening decade he has made repeated attempts to get in touch online, which I ignored until recently, when he started following me on Twitter. He told me he was recovering from a stroke, I expressed sympathy. He replied to a couple of my tweets, then once again attempted to add me on Facebook. I don't really use Facebook much any more so this time I accepted - it seemed churlish to keep ignoring him, and he's obviously unhappy and lonely. He commented on a picture of DD clearly (insanely) thinking it was me - saying I looked "About 12 - and lovely" which was a bit creepy. I pointed out his mistake and laughed it off (she's 10 - I'm 41).
Anyway, since then, he's messaged me out of the blue with increasing frequency, just telling me things about what he's been doing or comments about things I posted ages ago. Now almost every time I'm online I get those Messenger 'waves'.
I know this isn't a big deal, it's just irritating. I never reply to the waves or messages. We have no relationship. I feel that he thinks he is entitled to my time and energy and interest, out of guilt perhaps? Or just because he's a very important man (📯) and therefore I should give a shit.
What would you do? Do I just delete him? Do I draw his attention to my lack of interest? I wonder how many other random female acquaintances he does this to?