Posted by AuntieMel on August 21, 2004, at 20:55:31
In reply to Aunti Mel can you work with me on this?, posted by Jai Narayan on August 21, 2004, at 11:23:05
I'm really sorry about the comment. It was late and I was tired and not thinking too clearly. I really didn't catch that you were hurt.
Now, what I said is true. It's just that I could have said it much better.
My father was very emotionally abusive (till the day he died.) And until I was about 17 he'd lace that with a liberal dose of toosh whuppins. With a belt. Hard. And he'd keep going until we cried. I was just onery enough to refuse to cry - from about age 9, so I'd get whupped harder, till he eventually figured out that I just wasn't going to do it.
Afterwards my brother and sister would try to give me sympathy, which would make me want to cry even more. But I wouldn't, so I'd crack jokes to get myself out of that mood. To this day I do the same thing. Boss chew me out? Crack a joke.
But I don't direct this at other people. It's a mechanism to help *me* not get too emotional about something that hurts.
And what has happened to this country hurts. It's amazing to me that the most sinister things are called by a name that means the opposite.
"Patriot Act" - Translate: If you don't like me wiretapping you and you don't like it that the airlines have to turn all passenger lists and iteneraries you must not be a patriot.
Clean sky's initiative: The businesses can see clean skies ahead 'cause we're darn sure not going to enforce the pollution laws.
And it hurts that other countries weren't brought into Bush's Battles. Or that we didn't listen to their opinions.
Taking troops out of Germany and South Korea? It'll cost us a couple of trillion to do that - and why? Have you noticed that one country didn't send troops over in the first place and the other withdrew theirs?
So, yes it hurts. And like the clown, I'm laughing on the outside while I'm crying on the inside.
Mel
poster:AuntieMel
thread:379538
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040820/msgs/380586.html