I NEVER SAID I WAS PERFECT

I NEVER SAID I WAS PERFECT

What you see is what you get

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I’ve been called many things in the many years I’ve been alive and feel I can honestly relate to at least some of them.

Let me introduce me:

Am I opinionated? Yup! I like to speak my mind but I’m also careful who might get hold of my two cents. I’d rather be quite than hurt someone’s feelings. While I’ve been known to point out what is often obviously missed by others, I’m just as careful to never stomp on the opinions of others. After all, we’re all entitled to what we think and say.

Am I sarcastic? Often! Honestly, it’s most often when someone deserves the sarcasm. However, I do draw the line at using sarcasm to embarrass someone. While sarcasm has been used to embarrass me, I don’t like it and won’t do it to others.

Am I argumentative? Occasionally! I find arguing a useless waste of energy and yet, if I know without a shadow of doubt that I’m right, I’ll often quietly point it out to let the other person know where I found those facts so hopefully, they’ll read what I said and learn from it. For instance, I have a friend who wanted to know what something looked like. He googled it and found a very mediocre, at best, photo. I said there were others that showed more detail. He started to argue. After taking him aside, I googled what he wanted and within ten seconds had the better image. Sometimes it only takes a few seconds to solve a mystery and save a friendship.

Am I tough? OH, I can be, when needed! I will always stand for the underdogs of the world. I stand for equality for everyone. When I was suddenly faced with a situation that forced me to raise my sons alone, I became a bit tougher and succeeded in the roles of motherhood and substitute fatherhood. I worked hard, studied harder, and created a life I can take pride in. FYI: my sons are very happily married family men.

Don’t insult my friends or family when I’m within earshot. While they might not hear enough to defend themselves, I can and will defend them.

Am I a softie? Most of the time. I have been found crying at sappy movies (The Lost Battalion with Rick Shroeder always undoes me). When I hear our National Anthem sung (properly), it brings me to tears. The first time I saw Brian’s Song, I cried when Brian Piccolo died (it was a movie, for heaven’s sake, but I still cried). When I sit and listen to the Overture of 1812, I visualize the war and yes, the tears come out like a flood.

I didn’t cry when my grandchildren were born but was mess when they graduated from high school and then college.

Am I sentimental? You betcha! I have one certain photo of my boys and me. It was our first Christmas alone. They were eight and ten years old. You can see so many emotions written in my eyes: uncertainty, fear, sadness, bewilderment, determination, strength, and pride at what I had already accomplished.

Am I a loyal friend? Most of the time! When I say most of the time, I mean my loyalty will go as far as yours. Don’t speak negatively behind my back. That’s an immediate friendship breaker. Don’t try to change me. Take me as I am, or not at all. I have a friend, who for a few months, kept telling me how to dress, apply my makeup (when I wore it), how to fix my hair, and so on. I saw nothing wrong with how I looked and finally asked her, that if, in order to be her friend, I had to change my appearance or follow a certain criterion. She was aghast at the thought until I explained that what she was saying was exactly how she made me feel. She stopped trying to change me and we’re still friends.

On the other side of the coin, don’t speak negatively about my friends or my family. My “friends” are my family. You hurt them, you hurt me and that’s not to be tolerated.

Am I fun to be around? Usually! According to my friends, that’s a definite yes, although there are times when I can’t help but wonder why they put up with my silly jokes. But, hey, if I make them laugh or even smile, I feel like I’ve made someone’s day a bit happier and that’s what matters.

My friends will often say that I can take a joke as easily as give one. No, I will never make fun of anyone, but I will joke about situations. For instance, in my Zumba class, our instructor jokingly asked after one of our most aggressive moves, “So are we having fun, yet?” I loudly responded, “Sure, we’ll have more fun after you drag out the oxygen tank.”

Yes, he laughed as did my Zumba-mates.

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These are a few of the things that make up me.

I’m a complexity of emotions, thoughts, personalities, not to be confused with a personality disorder – oh heaven forbid if there were more of me!

There’s so much more, but why quibble over a few more characteristics that I’ve left out?

Even at my tender (?) age of seventy-seven, I consider myself to still be work-in-progress, but hey, I keep us all guessing (yes, even me) and I can always promise to never offer a dull day.

What can I say?

What you see is what you get! (I think.)

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