Just because I am nice and treat people the way I would want to be treated, doesn't mean that people always deserve to be treated sweetly. Of late, I have been feeling slightly walked over, and have decided that I need to stand up for myself a little more frequently.
There's this mailman at the post office that is always such an asshole--kurt with customers, makes snide remarks about what the packaging looks like, very impatient, and is competely put out if--heaven forbid--someone has forgotten to put a return address on a letter or wants to pay with a check. Today when I sent a magazine to someone, he told me I couldn't send it bookrate because it wasn't a book, nor was it media. That didn't make much sense to me at all, but I stayed quiet. But he continued, very much as if I were an ignoramus, "Books are things you get at libraries, to open up and read." I playfully said, "you can get magazines at libraries too, and open them to read" to which he replied very angrily, "HEY I don't make UP the rules here." And for the first time, I stood up for myself and said "I know you don't. You always just seem so coarse". And then he was nice to me. But when i got out to my car I started bawling because it took so much energy to stand up to the prick. Weird feeling.
1 comment:
Hi darlin!
In moving away from Home, one of my best and hardest learned lessons was being as aggressive with the world as it can be towards me. My first instinct is polite niceties, but a couple years in a concrete jungle of liars and lawyers, and I'm ready to grab it by the throat sometimes, too.
I think you handled that really well, and I know it's hard for you. Congrats! Just as important a flipside of gentleness in the world, is making sure you know how to turn it on its head.
luve
k
ps. i lost my phone again....can you send your # to me, please? My emails to you keep bouncing back.
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