Be careful, when you walk out your door. Wait. If you read and answer text and email before you get out of bed it might even happen then. No matter, you will cause trouble. T-R-O-U-B-L-E.
A friend of mine related this story:
I was at the post office the other day, self-mailing a package, being really careful, as the goods were pretty precious and I was going to get that insurance on it if I was there all day. Behind was some young, all up in your face, mid management type, who looked at the USPS Mr. Helper Man and said, “I think SHE needs help.” Me.
“I think SHE needs help.” You know what I’m feeling, and all the nasty, ingenious retorts just cut bait and jumped into the black hole that is my head, swimming around, wasted. Makes me want to swear. I turned around to Mr. Full of Himself and so thanked him and turned to the USPS Mr. Try to Please Everyone and said, “I know how to do this, I was trying to be careful but thank you everyone.” Yup, she caused a little trouble.
It’s inevitable you are going to suffer consequences for actions either intended like the above, the fight or flight disease. But that situation definitely called for a very definite fight. No lectures. I know very well she could have let that go, but some people just need to be careful who they think needs help on any particularly day or ask someone directly. Idiot.
Then there’s the “I know I’m right” and “that” is going to cause trouble. I just can’t handle these situations in any other way than the Alia way. I like things my way, I feel my way is THE way and it’s usually in my area of expertise. When someone asks me to do a project or an event, we talk, we decide I start to work, I expect to do my job. We can compromise but if that person starts to change it up and it no longer looks like my work but a sloppy rendition of what we agreed on then I can’t work on it any longer.
I think there comes a time when a side can be chosen. If there is a sense of pride in what you do, something you’ve worked hard to develop, a certain talent for art, for decor, for style and someone wants to use it, wants to borrow it and usually without cost then your trademark is yours to control.
Perhaps the little story at the beginning of my musings was simply a funny way to show how in my friend wanting to be “careful” some in a ‘hurry guy full of attitude” was making her feel her efforts were not worthy in the eyes of the world.
So if in my efforts to bring my talents, the skills I’ve honed over the years and my hard work to events or people who then want to dilute and make them unrecognizable and no longer my vision than I can bow out and let someone else take over. I don’t need the stress or resentment of working on things where my heart no longer lies.
If that’s trouble than so be it. There’s all kinds of trouble in the world. I prefer to stand up for myself, protect what I do and in the end, not waver and be the USPS Mr. Try to Please Everyone guy. I love what I do, I’ll help you anyway I can but don’t tell me how to do my job.
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