Is it normal i tell everybody other than the ones i want to know?

I tell everybody my problems, but not the people who I really want to know about my problems. I'll purposely tell everybody BUT that person, and all in hopes that the word will get around to the person that I really wanted to know.

Perfect example: The child at recess who would tell everybody on the playground who their crush was, and secretly hope that those people would tell the crush. Then when somebody did tell the crush, they'd blush and act like it was such a big secret and curse the person who told.

Its so backwards. But I'm finding that I do it more and more these days. And I'm a lot older now, so you would think I'd know how to deal with my problems head on. And I do know that the right thing to do would be to speak to the actual person about it, but I just won't do it. Instead I tell everybody else my issues.

As a child I was a lot more upfront about my complaints. I'd tell the people that I knew needed to be told. But lately, I expect others to tell them for me. Is this normal? Anybody else do this?