My Instead: I respected myself by “respectfully”
speaking up to someone who had made fun of me for half my vacation time in
Florida.
Remember what Popeye used to say
when he felt enough was enough? “That's all I can stands, I can't
stands no more”. Well, guess what! Enough was enough for me.
My daughter Robin and I had spent three days in Florida
with several other women for the It Works Green Carpet Experience. My “experience”
in the sunshine state was not always the most pleasant. One of the gals decided
that I was the one on whom she was going to practice her Don Rickles humor. The
only thing is it wasn’t funny! I feel I can take pretty much teasing and even
ridicule…as a “joke”, of course. Actually though, if you really want to know, my
famous quote/motto is “I wouldn’t say s**t if I had a mouthful”. In other words,
I will not stand up for myself. I have been in this situation more than once
with my older brother (from way back), bosses, coworkers, schoolmates, friends
and acquaintances. Now I had to endure this on my vacation from a woman young
enough to be my kid! I will not go into detail. Suffice it to say, she did not
know where to draw the line!
But like Christina Crawford in the movie “Mommie Dearest”,
I planned to have the last word. There would be no cruelty, no disrespect, and
no argument. When we landed back in Illinois, I agreed to give her a lift home…it
was on my way. When I dropped her off at her house, I hugged her and whispered “I
will always remember how you made me feel”. As I slowly pulled away, she grumbled
“Is that good or bad?” Not believing she had to ask, I answered “That’s for you
to decide”. I got in the car and left and never looked back.
What I said to her was from my favorite quote from Maya
Angelou, “I've
learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
I
wondered throughout the ordeal how many children are continually being abused verbally
and are feeling the way I did on my trip…and I’m an adult! They are CHILDREN! What
scars do they carry with them throughout their lives because of how their
parents “made them feel”!
Let
me just say this one thing. Imagine that EACH PERSON you’ve ever known in your
life time came up to you, gave you a hug and whispered to you “I will always
remember how you made me feel”. Well? How was it…good or bad?
Now what’s it GOING to be?
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