Faux Pas
I spend a lot of time tip-toeing around people. I know that NO ONE in my life believes that, but it’s true; this is me practicing RESTRAINT. Granted, I’m not as good at it as I once was, but I still do it. I used to hold everything inside, rotting from the passive-aggressiveness that gnawed at my insides. Now I fight being outwardly aggressive. There’s truth to that whole postal worker theory; if you don’t find a healthy outlet, then eventually you’re going to go apeshit on everyone.
I’ve ruined a few friendships in the past few years. I did it in the name of “truth,” but I think that I didn’t really know the truth at the time. I said how I felt, forgetting that not everyone has spent as much time as I have cultivating the thick skin required to survive as a designer in a cruel and ugly world. There’s a high level of hypocrisy in what I do now; I am intolerant of intolerance. I’m not really good at spreading the joy, but I love to tell people they’re being rude. Nothing frosts me more than people screaming at a cashier for a mistake, or bitching at a customer service rep who clearly has no power, or honking at someone paused in their vehicle to avoid running over a kitten in the road. It’s kind of comical when you think about it; I get pissed at other people who are pissed for what I deem a “stupid” reason.
When did I get so judgmental?
I guess my beef is with mean people. I’ve always been a nice person; I eat a lot of crap with a silver spoon. And it always bothered me that no one would stand up for me. So now, when I see someone getting bullied (especially by fat ladies at a Hobby Lobby checkout line; I have no idea why that ratio is so high), I just get mad. And now, I speak up. I realize how counteractive this action can be; instead of lightening the mood, I’m just going to spread the rancor by yelling at the yellee. But damn it, someone has to stick up for someone else. These mean people have to be stopped.
I think this is why old people are so cranky.