First of all - GREAT MOVIE! I just saw it for the first time and it did not disappoint. But enough about that - let's talk about me...
I have decided it is time to stop assuming I always know what other people are thinking or what they really meant despite what they just said. And I am doing this because I don't want it done to me.
What is it about so many folks that they always expect the worse? Even though I am not a "yelling" parent, my children have started sentences with, "I don't want you to get mad but..." only to be surprised that I never even raised an eyebrow. This prompts me to ask, "Am I such a mean Mom that you thought I would get angry at you for telling me the truth? I must be despicable!" This of course prompts a laugh because I am short, totally non-threatening and tend to laugh more than not, ending said discussion with hugs and smiles.
As a self-proclaimed word-smith, I pretty much put it all out there...I'm not that deep. Really. I will call it just as I see it, so there is no reason to read into anything more than what I've just said. Stand back! I have a vocabulary and I know how to use it! Don't get me wrong, if I get angry there will be no doubt whatsoever of my intent. However, as my life is too blessed to be stressed this really never happens.
So I invite everyone to use words as their minions, say what they mean, mean what they say, and let's all stop pretending we are in one another's heads. This is exactly what I told my son when he was sure I stopped loving him (despite my reassurance otherwise) when he did something causing me to punish him. I tend to surround myself with wonderful people. There is no reason to look for hidden agendas or imagined innuendo although I need to remind myself of this sometimes.
Lightbulb...I will stop reading between the lines and just start enjoying the story.
* Thank you to "Despicable Me" for the great picture, wonderful story, and fantastic movie!
I just recently added "Despicable Me" to our Netflix queue. It's hard to get animation in this "empty nest"--I love animated movies but my husband does not. We just watched "UP" a couple of weeks ago and he did enjoy that one.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about people assuming they know what you are thinking, or what you are going to say, or how you are going to react. And I hate it when I say or write something, (like you--I say what I mean, not trying to trip anyone up with head games) and the intended party decides to read something totally different from what I meant. Don't get too disheartened by your kids doing this to you. I remember a few years ago Newsweek or Time having a cover story about how the brains of adolescents are lacking in being able to read tone or facial expressions correctly. It is so true.
I think I'll live longer if I take people at face value. Less stress.
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