A letter to my mom

Dear Mom,
Last Sunday, I posted a picture to Facebook that really upset you. In fact, you were so upset that you left work early to come home and relieve me of my babysitting duties. I type this on day 7 of the silent treatment you've decided to give as punishment. I must be a horrible daughter to post the picture below making a joke out of the dirty condition your stove is in. Obviously, this is an underlying attack on you in general (even though I tagged you and Justin in the picture).

"01/29/12 Dear residents on Idlewild...please clean your stove. I nearly burned the house down with 5 children in it. Sincerely, the babysitter! :0)"

I have to assume that this isn't the real cause of your dysfunction but possibly the straw that broke the camels back. However, I do question your ability to remain rational in situations that become stressful. It shouldn't surprise me, though. After 35 years, I'm well aware that you tend to get upset about trivial things and hold a grudge longer than anyone I've ever know.

As my mother, I assumed that you knew my personality well enough to remember that I make jokes about everything. It's my nature...it's who I am. You either don't know me at all...or don't care.

That day, you also mentioned being upset about something I had posted over a year ago about being stressed out because my credit was all maxed out. And yes, I probably mentioned that your house and $3000 transmission bill were on my credit. I think after all that I financed for you, I'm entitled to be a little stressed out about it. I won't be able to get a decent car loan until that house is paid off and I really need to get a new car soon! So what? Is that really worth holding a grudge over? Heck, is it really even worth getting upset about?

When you called yesterday, I thought maybe you had gotten over it and we could get back to normal. But, NO! You just needed me so you could remove your cell phone from my plan, but instead of waiting the 20 minutes it took me to get the message, call Verizon and then call you back, you just set up a new plan. Not even thinking that I would then be stuck paying the bill for your current line until the contract ended in a year. If you'd bothered to call before you went to the store, I could have taken care of it. But no...back to the silent treatment again. Heck, you weren't even nice to me when I called back to tell you I'd taken care of it.

So I called Verizon and had the guy call you to clear it up. Did you bother to call me & tell me it had been taken care of? Hell NO, you didn't even call me the first time to tell me your number had been changed.

So, after all this childishness, we are back to the silent treatment again. It's frustrating, but I'm not making the first step this time. You've done this to me before and I'm always the one that has to be the initiator. No more...if you want to have a relationship with me and Josh, you'd better get that chip off your shoulder, get your priorities in line and make your move.

I'm not going to do it this time!

I'm ashamed of my behavior!

I don't know why I let myself get drawn into these snipe-fests that happen on Facebook! 14WFIE posted an article about IL Meth Dealers being billed for the clean up of any fires that they start. They asked if we had any other ideas about ways to decrease the drug problem in the area. Here is my response:

Require drug testing for those on welfare, unemployment or other government issued benefits. I have to pass a drug test to get a job, why shouldn't they have to be clean to live off my tax money? I know not all folks getting assistance are on drugs but there are enough that ARE to make this a good idea.

8 other people liked my comment and about half the other posters had similar feedback. However, I was the only one that was being attacked for my comments...from 3 different people. I do not understand why people have to be so rude and obnoxious to each other.

Unfortunately, I fell into the trap and made some comments back. Pointing out the error of their comments and defending my opinion. I was snide and should never have bothered going back to see what else was said. I don't know why this particular posting made me keep going back to comment. Normally, I make my comment and then never go back because I don't care what anyone else thinks about my opinion. This time, it really irritated me because the comments I got back were so insanely idiotic that I just couldn't resist responding.

I cannot abide people that blindly attack others. It was my opinion, that's what the news station asked for. Give your opinion and then shut the hell up and mind your business. It was not supposed to be an open debate forum.

Sadly, I am embarrassed that I participated in so childish an interaction so I deleted all but my comments and blocked those 3 users that felt it was ok to attack someone they don't even know.

Lesson learned, don't get involved in childish "discussions" about what other people think. We are all entitled to our opinions. If asked, state your position and then move on. Don't worry about what other people think. The world is full of assholes and the comments on facebook prove it.