Okay, I know, I'm a blogging slacker. OH WELL! Anyway, today I figured I would takle a pet peeve that never fails: STARING.
When done by children, it's not a big deal-- I get it, I do. chances are they haven't seen someone walking around with no hair and a face mask before. New things can be scary. Of course children are also easily appeased: they will usually grin when the mask is removed to reveal a smile and could care less about the lack of hair.
Once again, it is the adults who need to learn some manners.
I'm going to leave it at that for two reasons: 1. I can't think of an appropriate way to vocalize my feelings, and 2. I know that everyone has been stared at for one reason or another--whether stemming from unsightly appearance, rambunctious children, word vomit, whatever-- we all know the feeling. So, I propose that when we find ourselves staring, we stop to remember how it feels, grow a pair, smile and look away.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Monday, August 18, 2008
Fortune Cookie
So, I went with my mom, dad, and brother to the local library's book sale today and this lady looks at me and says "I just have to say, bald is beautiful." Okay, fine. Whatever. So I look back and say "thanks" to be polite, then go about my business thinking I'm off the hook.
Wrong. I really should know better than that by now: people just don't know when to shut up. She starts going on and on about her mom's bout of cancer. Her mom, who is sitting right there, just smiles, nods and says nothing-- she obviously gets my frustration. I just wasn't in the mood to put up with this today so I excused myself from the scene at an appropriate time only to hear the daughter KEEP GOING on to my mom: like I said, some people just don't kow when to shut it... oh well.
After that episode Pat and I went to get some Chinese food. Once again I'm faced with someone who comments on the cancer: at least she kept it to "God bless you," I can handle that. We get back home, eat, and I bust open my fortune cookie only to find this little tidbit:
"Every burden is a blessing."
Ha! talk about ironic, lol.
Wrong. I really should know better than that by now: people just don't know when to shut up. She starts going on and on about her mom's bout of cancer. Her mom, who is sitting right there, just smiles, nods and says nothing-- she obviously gets my frustration. I just wasn't in the mood to put up with this today so I excused myself from the scene at an appropriate time only to hear the daughter KEEP GOING on to my mom: like I said, some people just don't kow when to shut it... oh well.
After that episode Pat and I went to get some Chinese food. Once again I'm faced with someone who comments on the cancer: at least she kept it to "God bless you," I can handle that. We get back home, eat, and I bust open my fortune cookie only to find this little tidbit:
"Every burden is a blessing."
Ha! talk about ironic, lol.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
here goes nothing
To start things off, I figured I would share all the recent stupid comments that gave me the idea to start documenting them. They are as follows:
While at the checkout in our local Shopko, the cashier looks at me with a sheepish smile then turns to my mom and asks: "Does she have cancer?" I could tell my mom was just as upset as I was. Not because of the question asked, but because I was standing right next to her: obviously in hearing range. Yet the cashier insisted upon asking my mother her question, as if the mask I was wearing meant that I couldn't hear or speak. My mom hesitantly answered "yes," and glanced over to gauge my reaction. I looked at a magazine to keep calm, while the girl continued to ring up my mom's items, and ask questions--about me. Finally, the girl asked my mom how long I'd had the cancer. I looked up at her, glaring. Embarrassed, she paused for a second, then cautiously redirected her question to me. Seriously, does it just not click that a face mask isn't an ear plug??
While in Bath and Body Works, a small boy looked up at me and politely asked, "why do you have that thing on your face?" To which I happily replied, "It protects me so that I don't get sick." He smiled, and said "oh, ok!" I went back to looking at whatever it was I was interested in only to have an older lady stop me and say, "leave it to a kid, right? to say something stupid" I bit my tongue, but instantly raged in my mind "No, leave it to the adults to do that, the kids are just fine." I mean, they're just kids, they're curious. It's not like they see someone wearing a mask everyday. They don't understand, why deprive them of the knowledge? why not teach them in terms they can understand so that they don't grow up to be ignorant, rude adults?
At the checkout line in out local Wal-Mart, I couldn't help but overhear a mother tell her son (in answer to an inaudible question) "Well, it looks like they have cancer, and they probably don't have much time left to live." Now, I'm not positive that this was intended to describe me, but that was the feel I got. Still, who are you to tell your child someone is dying, when you have no clue what that person is going through? I happen to have plenty of time left to live, and I definitely don't plan on keeling over anytime soon. Unfortunately, that child will automatically attribute a face mask to death from now on-- good one, Mom!
And last, but definitely not least: Once again at Wal-mart (I should just not go there, right?). My mom and I were done paying for our purchases when an acquaintance of hers from work (she does a form of hospice care) stopped her to ask to say "on duty today, huh?" to which she held back her obvious agitation and politely replied, " no, this is my daughter," and they proceeded into conversation while I talked to a friend of mine working at a different register. We caught back up to each other, and while walking out the door, my mom spouts "you wouldn't BELIEVE what he just said!"
"What did he say?"
"He had the gal to ask me, 'now is the mask for Her benefit, or Our benefit?'" Come here, buddy, let me breathe on ya! Sheesh! How stupid can you get? Really, where do you come up with this crap?
While at the checkout in our local Shopko, the cashier looks at me with a sheepish smile then turns to my mom and asks: "Does she have cancer?" I could tell my mom was just as upset as I was. Not because of the question asked, but because I was standing right next to her: obviously in hearing range. Yet the cashier insisted upon asking my mother her question, as if the mask I was wearing meant that I couldn't hear or speak. My mom hesitantly answered "yes," and glanced over to gauge my reaction. I looked at a magazine to keep calm, while the girl continued to ring up my mom's items, and ask questions--about me. Finally, the girl asked my mom how long I'd had the cancer. I looked up at her, glaring. Embarrassed, she paused for a second, then cautiously redirected her question to me. Seriously, does it just not click that a face mask isn't an ear plug??
While in Bath and Body Works, a small boy looked up at me and politely asked, "why do you have that thing on your face?" To which I happily replied, "It protects me so that I don't get sick." He smiled, and said "oh, ok!" I went back to looking at whatever it was I was interested in only to have an older lady stop me and say, "leave it to a kid, right? to say something stupid" I bit my tongue, but instantly raged in my mind "No, leave it to the adults to do that, the kids are just fine." I mean, they're just kids, they're curious. It's not like they see someone wearing a mask everyday. They don't understand, why deprive them of the knowledge? why not teach them in terms they can understand so that they don't grow up to be ignorant, rude adults?
At the checkout line in out local Wal-Mart, I couldn't help but overhear a mother tell her son (in answer to an inaudible question) "Well, it looks like they have cancer, and they probably don't have much time left to live." Now, I'm not positive that this was intended to describe me, but that was the feel I got. Still, who are you to tell your child someone is dying, when you have no clue what that person is going through? I happen to have plenty of time left to live, and I definitely don't plan on keeling over anytime soon. Unfortunately, that child will automatically attribute a face mask to death from now on-- good one, Mom!
And last, but definitely not least: Once again at Wal-mart (I should just not go there, right?). My mom and I were done paying for our purchases when an acquaintance of hers from work (she does a form of hospice care) stopped her to ask to say "on duty today, huh?" to which she held back her obvious agitation and politely replied, " no, this is my daughter," and they proceeded into conversation while I talked to a friend of mine working at a different register. We caught back up to each other, and while walking out the door, my mom spouts "you wouldn't BELIEVE what he just said!"
"What did he say?"
"He had the gal to ask me, 'now is the mask for Her benefit, or Our benefit?'" Come here, buddy, let me breathe on ya! Sheesh! How stupid can you get? Really, where do you come up with this crap?
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Stupid Comments
Lately, I've been hearing quite the selection of dumb comments: apparently generations W, X, and Y were only taught to stare, shush their children, whisper and act like Cancer can be "caught" like a cold or the flu. It's fine, I get it, you've never seen a young person walking around with no hair and a face mask. Whatever. But has it ever crossed your mind that it might be offensive to make stupid comments?
In light of these recent and numerous incidents, I have created this blog. Each time I find myself listening to a stupid comment, I'm going to blog it; and hopefully, when this is all over, I can look back and have a good laugh!
In light of these recent and numerous incidents, I have created this blog. Each time I find myself listening to a stupid comment, I'm going to blog it; and hopefully, when this is all over, I can look back and have a good laugh!
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