State of Confusion

Now I know that every 28 days or so, I am going to act irrational and make my family crazy. I'm going to say things that make no sense and generally be pissed off at everything. I'm aware of this, my husband and kids are aware of this, and 5-7 days later all is right with the world.

Sometimes, though, it is hard to figure out other people's issues and what makes them behave the way that they do. For example, a little over a month ago I was upset at something someone told me. I laughed it off at the time but deep down, I was pissed. When it got out that I was pissed, this person turned it around on me. Like I had no reason to be upset, how dare I, blah, blah, blah and then they proceeded to call me every name in the book, told me to grow up and that they were tired of my sh*t. Message received: Now you're pissed. We haven't spoken since and I think it is amazing how it is okay for this person to be pissed at what I said but I have no right to be pissed at what she said. And NOW they want to complain that I won't call them and so they're pissed at that, too!

Could I say the word pissed any more?

Next up, my dad. We haven't spoken since July and the whole birthday party fiasco. Bottom line is that he's pissed that I griped about him here on the blog - or at least I think he is but being that he won't return my calls, I can't be sure. So if that is his reason for being mad, why then, was it okay for his crazy wife to write all kinds of bad things about me, my sister, our kids, my husband, my uncle, my aunt, my step brother, my stepmother...I mean the list was endless! Why was her behavior acceptable and not mine?

Why is okay for someone to claim that something is offensive to them but you cannot say that them taking offense is offensive? Or that they believe that nothing that they do is offensive to anyone?

When did it become mandatory for us to all think the same and have to enjoy all of the same forms of entertainment? Or support the same causes?

Is it good manners when you are in a group meeting and invite everyone in the group to a social event except for one person?

Is it okay to snap at someone else's kid because they are expressing their opinion on something that pertains directly to THEM and you don't agree with it?

Deep questions and scenarios, I know...but they were on my mind.

*Today's Examiner.com article is on an on-line homeschool conference through the Old Schoolhouse magazine. You can read about it HERE. Thanks!*

Some People Just WANT to be Mad: aka: Bratty Adults

You know how it's really annoying when you're out somewhere and a child is throwing a temper tantrum somewhere near you? You know, the yelling, the whining, the crying and just how painfully annoying it is to listen to? So you tell yourself "Why doesn't someone shut that child up?" (or maybe something a little more sensitive).

We've all been there. Either it's YOUR child being a brat or someone else's but we've all dealt with this kind of a situation. Let me just say that it is like, oh, I don't know maybe seventy-freakin'-bajillion times more annoying when it is an adult acting like this. In the last month I have had to deal with more bratty adults than I have ever wanted to! Do we not spend a large portion of our time as parents telling our kids that life isn't fair and that they can't always have things their way? Why then, do we, AS THE ADULTS not get this?

The day that we were awaiting word on my stepmom (dad's second wife) who was in a nursing home, on hospice and how they believed she will not make it through the day was the worst. The people who were down there with her (dad and stepbrother) were not really focused on HER they were focused on an on-going argument between the two of them. REALLY?? For ONE day you cannot let that go and maybe GRIEVE together?? I can't really blame my brother on this one, this was his mom that he was dealing with and I knew it was going to be DEVASTATING for him when she passed. But dad? BE THE PARENT HERE!!! Be a nice man and maybe offer this man/child comfort! OOOHHH it just makes me so mad! There were phone calls being made to me and my sister with "he did this" and "he said that" and lucky for me, I'm only getting that from my brother, poor Karen was getting it from brother AND dad! Oh, and Nancy if you're reading, go ahead and hit "print" and be sure to get this to dad over a nice glass of wine for more fun for you.

Then, in the midst of all of that, WHILE they were arguing, dad throws out there to brother to NOT trust ME!!! I've left this miserable man alone since JULY. JULY!!! Not one word to him in all that time - and believe me, I tried to make peace but he is too spiteful to hear it. And you know what my big crime is that I am being crucified for? I blog. That's right, I wrote the TRUTH about things that upset ME. It's amazing I'm even allowed out in society so hateful am I. So instead of maybe hearing and listening to what my brother's issues are with HIM, this miserable human being had to throw the blame on to someone else. "Oh, date hate me, hate Stace!" There is not a hot enough place in hell for you, sir, but I can only hope the devil is preparing one.

And just one more note on that one: So you're mad now that I didn't send a mass card to you? Really? Has no one reminded you that you were NOT married to Collette anymore? You are not the grieving spouse! Or maybe you are, I mean, you are married to a crazy woman and hopefully regretting it. But I digress...no, I did not send a mass card. I don't do that. Ever. You know, I held a memorial service here and YOU did not send ME a card. So I guess I'm mad at you too. Also, you're mad that I didn't call you? Why should I when you've REFUSED my calls for the last five months? Make up your mind, man. Either you want to talk to me or you don't. But for crying out loud, stop changing the reason why you're mad because really, no one cares and I don't care to try to keep up with your crazy list.

It's not just them, there just seems to be a lot of stress and pressure lately that is bringing out the brattiness in a lot of people. We all do it so don't sit there thinking that you don't ever get bratty or anything like that. It's human nature. We get mad when we don't get our way. What I find annoying is when seemingly mature adults resort to childish behavior when they don't get their way - snubbing someone as you walk by, refusing to acknowledge them, refusing to answer your phone when someone is calling to mend a relationship...I mean, com ON!

I'm not perfect. I can be down-right bratty too. I'm being bratty right now with all my complaining but I keep it limited (for the most part) here to the blog. I would hope, however, that I don't do that on someone's DEATH BED! Please, I hope I have learned a little something in this life!

*Today's Examiner.com article is on Thanksgiving books for children. You can read it HERE. Thanks!*

One Last Rant...

Yes, yes, the bookstore is closed and I'm out of a job and I am very sad. But now that a couple of days have passed I just need to get some things off of my chest so that I can move on...

First off, I was SHOCKED by some of the behavior these last weeks. Everyone is looking for a deal and I get that. I enjoy a good deal too and there were even some things that I purchased that I did not feel good about - especially knowing that the store was taking a loss on them. I don't begrudge anyone that, what I have a problem with is when someone is already getting 50%, 75% or even at the end 90% off of something and they are still looking for something more, FOR FREE. I mean, why not just rip the shirts off of our backs.

On the day before the last day, we had a lot of candy left on the shelves. One of the students who had class that day came up to the desk to get a candy bar. I did a BOGO deal for him. When his mom came to pick him up, she too, was looking for a BOGO deal but really just wanted the free portion. She wanted to pay the eighty cents but get an entire box of candy for free. When I would not budge on giving her the box, she left. Then came BACK on the last day AGAIN looking for the free candy! I was like "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" By that point, we had already divvied up the candy amongst ourselves and sure, we could've sold her some but just the fact that you show up on our last day and try to strip of us of what little we had left was just bad manners.

Then there was the teacher who waited until the very end to pay her rent and whined because her receipt wasn't as itemized as it usually was. REALLY? I was out picking up lunch and so the boss was ringing her up and this woman KNEW it was the boss and how it was the last day and these poor people were losing their business and she wanted to WHINE about how itemized her receipt was? Again, very bad manners.

I guess what upset me the most was the lack of support for my friend. I had students bring me gifts and had people call to offer to bring me lunch but no one did that for Michelle. Only two people actually went out of their way that day to stop in to say goodbye to her. I really felt bad about that. I know she said that it was okay and she kind of preferred not having to have a big emotional goodbye repeated all day long, but it would have been nice if more than two people showed up.

I even had someone e-mail me personally about a store question. Normally I wouldn't care but this person has made a habit lately out of trash talking me (to the extent of having one of her neighbor's pulled out of my class) and the store and the teachers and then expects me to want to give her anything? I don't think she KNOWS what manners even are.

So I'm done. I've ranted all that I will. It feels good to get it off of my chest.