Results of my "When do you cry?" poll

A few weeks ago I wrote about what makes me cry (and kiddo and hubby too). I also posted a poll to find out what make YOU cry. I must have really touched a nerve because that post had 25 comments and there were 52 votes in the poll.

According to the poll, you people are crybabies. No, just kidding. But the results were surprising to me. Here's a recap:

Do you cry when ...

• reading a book? 46 votes (88%)
• watching a movie? 48 votes (92%)
• listening to music? 31 votes (59%)
• watching a commercial? 21 votes (40%)
• there is no good reason? 27 votes (51%)

After seeing those results, I got to thinking that maybe I AM a bit odd, since I don't cry in books. BUT THEN! I was reading something (can't remember what) and I realized that I was tearing up but automatically blinking back the tears so I wouldn't cry. And I realized that I actually do that ALL THE TIME. I have some internal watchdog thing that shuts off the tears whenever they start to come. I think it has to do with me not wanting anyone to see me crying over "a book" rather than something "important", or maybe with the fact that I'm usually reading in public so I don't want anyone to see my crying (that would go over well on my lunch break at work, don't you think?). Who knows?! But at least I know I'm not heartless. THAT'S a relief.

So many people responded to my original post with really great comments and I want to mention some of them here. Below are excepts from the comment section along with my own comments on the comments ...

• Rebecca @ The Book Lady's Blog said... I tend to get teary during movies, but I haven't all-out cried during one in quite a while. It's funny that you mention Lord of the Rings because I know that's one movie that made my hubby tear up, especially in the scene that shows a flash of Aragorn and Arwen and what life would be like with their little boy in the future. [I love that part too!]

• lisamm said... On tv it could be almost anything- last night it was American Idol, I'm not kidding! The pink haired girl's father was so proud and that brought tears to my eyes. My family thinks I'm totally nuts. [LOL]

• Jo said... Books make me cry all the time. The last was the Time Travelers Wife. I think I get too personally involved and start imagining myself in situations and then there's no stopping me! [Eek, I've never done that before. I can't imagine putting myself into some the the books I've read ... that would be horrible.]

• bermudaonion said... It doesn't take much to make me cry. Seeing someone sing the national anthem, reading someone's blog post about putting their dog down, etc. I'm a huge crybaby. [The National Anthem gets me all the time.]

• Robin of My Two Blessings said... My son will cry at the drop of a hat when reading books. He is very emotional. [I'm so glad kiddo isn't the only boy like that!]
  

• Meghan said... My fiance never cries. He hasn't cried in more than 4 years, since his grandmother died. I'm not sure what I think about that. [That's ... um ... scary?]

• Ti said... I've never cried over a book. With a book, if the emotion is getting too intense I have a habit of putting it down for a bit. I usually do it because I want to relish the moment and with kids screaming and carrying on in the background I usually always have to put it down for later. Then when later comes I am not that emotional over it because I know what's coming. [How can you put it down in the middle of such an intense scene?! I'd be completely ignoring everything around me - the house could be burning down! - because I'd be so into that part.]
  

• Lenore said... My husband and I were watching The Green Mile with my parents and during the execution scene, my husband ran from the room crying. My dad just hit pause and told me to get him to come back. We still laugh about that. [Too funny! I'm sure he appreciates you sharing that with all of us. LOL]

• chartroose said... I'm weird; terrible things can happen to me in the real world, and I'm like a rock, nothing moves me. Give me a sad book or movie or Hallmark commercial or the sight of a frail elderly person struggling to get across the street and I get all teary-eyed. The last time I teared up was last night while reading "Mr. Pip." [I'm a lot like that too - I can handle "real life" without a tear or a tremor but I'm an emotional wreck in a movie. Crazy we are.]
  

• softdrink said... Last week I watched Extreme Home Makeover and I was sobbing along with the family when they saw their new house. [Yep, hubby and I both cry over that one at our house.]

• Nicole said... I used to cry and get all choked up over the weirdest things. Long distance telephone commercials, songs, tear-jerker movies where I saw the contrived ending coming from a mile away but then cried anyway. Then I went to an acupuncturist who told me my hormones weren't balanced and after a few sessions that pretty much stopped. [Hmm, maybe my hormones are off ... that would explain a LOT, and not just the crying thing. :) ]
  

• Dreamybee said... As a kid I didn't cry much, but one year The Wizard of Oz sent me into a crying fit. I always watched it every year when it was on TV, but for some reason one year I got all upset when Dorothy was in the Emerald City because I knew she just wanted to go home and she didn't think she was ever going to get back home and I was SO SAD for her because I wouldn't ever want to be somewhere where I couldn't get back home. [Oh my, that sounds horribly depressing.]

• Jeane said... I rarely cry over movies, and even rarer when I read books. But every time I watch Dances with Wolves, I cry when the horse and the wolf get shot. Even after seeing it four or five times, those scenes make me bawl. I guess because I'm an animal-lover. [I can't even watch that part of the movie. I have to fast forward or leave the room. It is just so senselessly cruel and sad.]

Thank you to everyone who read, commented, and voted. I loved hearing your thoughts on crying. What's that you say? Maybe next time I can pick a more fun subject for us to talk about? Ok, I'll work on that ...