I imagine a bubble surrounding me. This bubble varies in size all the time, much of it depends on the relationships. It can be the relationship between me and a person, or an object.
The space in a bubble is like a safe space, with the fragile boundary of a bubble separating the exterior. There are people whom I would like to invite into the bubble as there is trust in these people to keep my bubble safe.
The size of the bubble can vary with many factors. The bubble often starts off being generous and accommodating to those with good hearts and intent. On the other hand, when this bubble is violated, it will be forced to become smaller, causing uneasiness and distrust. A small bubble may be good too. Sometimes, the bubble becomes smaller because the focus is just on the important people.
It can be quite amazing how this bubble changes- in size, in speed and in strength. Triggers in the environment or things that happen can affect all these.
Friends start off as strangers, where the bubble is kind of big. As time goes by, this bubble shrinks as friends become more aware and understand each other better. Physically, there may be separation, but the closeness is felt. The stranger on a bus or train may be standing pretty close but the bubble is relatively big, any slight inappropriate or accidentally movement would raise eyebrows.
I guess bubbles form some kind of psychological protection in all of us by creating an artificial mental space.