May 3rd, 2010 | Posted in Daily Grind | 4 Comments »
I just got a phone call from a politician.
But I didn’t realize he was a politician until after answering the call. I looked at the caller ID and studied the name for a second (yeah, I’m a call screener, so sue me), and though it sounded familiar, I could NOT place the name for the life of me.
So I answered.
“Hello this is [politician's name] calling for [not my name, or anyone I know]. Are they around?” He asked.
Then, I recognized the name…the guy that advertises his face all over everything that will hold pigment. Why couldn’t I have realized sooner?
“No sir I’m sorry, you have the wrong number,” I said…nicely.
“You don’t know them at all?”
“..No.”
And there’s nothing I hate more than an overly quizzical wrong number caller. I expected him to move on. But like any annoyingly effective politician, they HAVE to make sure that you know who you’re talking to. And not ONLY is he a politician…he’s also a local attorney. A tidbit of info that I would not have known had he not called. And I still don’t care.
“I was trying to get a hold of [name] from the [city] area and yours was the closest name in the phone book…” he lingered.
“…Okay…?”
What, did he want me to just make a contribution or something? Tell him what I had for lunch? Have phone sex? GET OFF MY PHONE, CREEPY OLD GUY. Nothing is more awkward than carrying on pointless conversation with someone on the phone whom you don’t know.
Apparently I need to brush up on my call screening abilities.
May 3rd, 2010 | Posted in Personal | 1 Comment »
My son has really been surprising me with his straight-forwardness lately. He’s in that stage that all children go through, I suppose. He’s not afraid to tell you what he thinks or what’s on his mind at any given moment. Example.
We were eating dinner together, in the living room (because I’m a such a terrible, anti-family she beast!) and he says to me, “You’re not fat anymore, Mom. But you were when I was a little baby in your belly, huh?”
“Yes,” I told him, “and to be honest I’m not all that skinny now either babe.” Was I fishing for some kind of compliment from my 5-year-old? No. Hell, he’s being honest with me, I want to be honest with him. I wasn’t offended in the slightest. I was happy with his honest observations, in fact. The conversation continued…
“Well,” he pondered, “if you’re not skinny now, is that because you eat too much bad stuff for your body like oil and fat?” They’ve been studying the food pyramid at school.
“Yep,” I said, “that’s exactly right. Too much bad stuff and not enough exercise. It happens to grown ups sometimes.”
He took that as a valid point and said, “Well I love you anyways.”
Could I ask for anything better than that? To recognize at such a young age that people aren’t perfect, and that it’s okay to love them or appreciate them for what they are?
Now, there are two sides to being so blunt, and all of us as adults know what that means. I do reprimand him if he makes a too loud comment in the grocery store about someone being big or otherwise different in appearance. I don’t want him to be a little asshole, after all. It’s one thing to talk to me about that because I know he’s well intentioned, but a different thing entirely to do it to a stranger. But at the age he is now, he’s only being inquisitive and genuinely wants to know why I’m not skinny or maybe why the man we saw in the store only has one arm. While it’s not okay to walk up to these people and point out such things, it IS okay to wonder…and we all do it even if it isn’t verbal. I guess that’s what I want him to take away from these little whispered conversations…that it’s okay to talk about these things and ask questions, but it’s not okay to do it in a way that could hurt someone else. It’s my opinion that by silencing kids and scolding them every time they make a not so popular comment about the people or situations in their lives, it only does more harm than good. How will they learn that there’s a right time and place for everything if you never give them the chance to learn the difference?
I guess part of growing up and gaining social skills is learning where this fine line lies.
