That Personal Touch

This is neither about knitting nor reading, but just something I felt like writing.  It is something that on one hand amuses me, but on the other hand, really has me puzzled.

For as long as I can remember, people have always told me things that a) I didn't ask to know, b) that I usually don't want to know, and c) that I would be unlikely to tell even closest friends.  According to The Tim, there is a sign across my forehead that only I cannot see, and it says "Spill Your Guts." 

Don't get me wrong - I am good at keeping things that others tell me to myself.  It's not really a conscious act, I guess I've always been that way.  And often I understand when friends, family, or other relatives tell me things that I have no reason to know. 

But co-workers?  That just puzzles the bejesus out of me.  Case in point:  at work, I am on the Wellness Committee.  We recently started what is called the Academy Step-Up program, and those participating were able to pick up a pedometer from HR.  Everyone keeps track of their steps on a shared site, and each week a person is named as the one with Most Steps, Most Improved, Most for X number of Weeks - you get the picture.  It is my responsibility to send out the all-staff e-mails making these announcements, since apparently I am known as someone who writes "hilarious" e-mails to the rest of the staff.  (The head of our division recently said to the Interim Director at a meeting, "Who knew Bridget was so kooky?"  Seriously.)

Anyway, on Monday mornings, I send a very brief reminder to everyone to add their steps for the week to our online record by Wednesday morning.  Then, every Wednesday, I send an e-mail announcing the winners. 

Without fail, and easily within 10 minutes of sending that e-mail, I get 5-6 e-mail responses from people telling me why they didn't do well that week.  And I mean detailed info.  Not "I forgot my pedometer," but rather, "I had my pedometer, but then we went on vacation to Wisconsin, and I forgot it, but we did A LOT of walking."  Granted, this is not the personal type of stuff that I usually get (thank God!), but there's always someone explaining themselves.  And not necessarily the same people.

Now, I want the Wellness Committee's ideas to work, and people to be healthier, etc., but I really do.not.care. if/why/how anyone was able to log their amounts.  Also, I am not the Pedometer Police - the only "penalty" is not being able to be included in the tallies for any given week.  So it amuses me that so many people that I do not even know are writing to me in apologetic or defensive fashion to tell me their excuses/problems! 

But I also wonder - why DO people tell me this stuff?  Much like I don't care why people aren't logging their steps, I also *really* don't care to know about my co-workers' sex lives, or the neighbors' problems with each other, or that a customer in the yarn shop on Sunday gets terrible gas after she eats rice.  And it's not like I start the ball rolling by sharing something first.

Does this happen to anyone else?  Or will everyone in the world eventually tell me everything?