I had to run an errand this afternoon. The volunteer who assisted me never spoke a word, except to offer the price and the change due. Perhaps I was icy first. Perhaps she was tired, distracted. Perhaps I was just wrong.
Nevertheless, my impression was that she was icy, and unnecessarily so. It totally pissed me off. Someone classier than me like Three for Tippy or Hopsy or my all time idol Mommy Lipstick would certainly not be so crass as to say they were pissed off. They probably wouldn't have indulged their primal urge to return the iciness either.
On the way home, I couldn't resist examining why this bothered me SO much. I suddenly realized that I really hate icy people. In fact, I purposely surround myself with people who are the antithesis of icy. Recent example: Saturday night our neighbors came over and visited in our sunroom until 2 in the morning. There was much laughter, copious beer consumption, and the discussion of delightfully inappropriate topics. It was fun and comfortable, easy, and without pretention.
I hate pretention. I have been guilty in my life of putting on airs. I can remember those experiences vividly. They are stupid, ridiculous, filled with regret, pain, and humour. Thank goodness, I have tried to grow up. Some people are still doing that sort of thing far into adulthood. They are usually icy too, and boy, do I try to avoid them. It's no secret really; those people piss me off.
11 comments:
Lipstick, I gave you an award in my Sunday post. It was for your cute daughter, but honestly, I'd give it to you again for this post. Look folks, life is short. Why make any of it difficult, or sad, that doesn't have to be? A little passion is OK. A sense of humor is good too.
@LPC...many, many thanks. For the award for Pretty Girl and for the validation for this post.
Love your honesty. Clearly she was jealous of you and dealt with it by acting rude and "icy"!! That's what it is always about, isn't it?? xoox
It really bothers me when people seem rude for no reason, too. Whether it happens out in public or at work, it will bother me for the rest of the day, if I let it. I always try my best to be polite to people (even if I don't feel it), but not everyone is like that.
Then, in order to keep from obsessing over it, I usually try to give them the benefit of the doubt and just think that maybe they had a really bad day or maybe something catastrophic is happening in their life and it spills over into the way they treat others (of course, they could just be plain mean as a snake, too!).
I get so pissed off by rude and icy people too, sometimes i even let it ruin a good hour of my day! :) ok, more than an hour. and sometimes I keep it close to bitch to my husband about it when I get home.
I agree, and I constantly surround myself with WARM people!
I could have written this myself -- clearly great minds think alike on these issues!
well said.. ditto
I agree! Icy people stink! I work at a library. I'm in customer service and sometimes I have to deal with icy people on the other end, but its my job not to be! Other women I work with don't always share my opinion and I feel guilty by association. That's the worst. I hope your day improved!
Being intimidated by one so put together as you and acting on the feeling (iciness) is a definite display of insecurity on her part - i.e. HER problem!!
Having said that, I agree. Been there and felt that.
I'm finally checking some of my favorite blogs (yours being one of them, natch) and you flatter me, my dear. I'm not nearly so 'classy' as you think.
I tend to be a 'bubbly' person, even if that word is insipid. I hate people who snub others or just act cold in order to feel superior.
My neighborhood is filled with these types of moms (I pretend it's because they're hungry as they're usually the size 0 types). At first I took it personally. Then I realized what unhappy people they must be to act so icy (great word, btw!) to people they barely know.
So...it behooves us happy people to just keep smiling...kill them with kindness, as my mother would say.
Miss you!
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