I know I shouldn't begin a story at this hour. I know I shouldn't. I should go to bed. It's time for me to go to bed.
A couple of months ago, someone got me to write an article about something they were doing. I wrote it the day after the event and other people asked about me writing and submitting this article too. It was a good article. I promise you. It was.
The sad thing was that no one will ever read this article. After practically begging me to write it, this person hasn't read the copy I sent to her the next day to check facts and my spelling.
'Really,' I want to say, 'it's not even a page long!'
I've asked nearly every time I run into the family if someone could follow up on this. I've explained that I promised an article to the other people involved. After the first deadline passed, I was pissed. After the next deadline passed, I was well and truly pissed. After I saw this person's husband and mentioned it to him, I was furious because he seemed to think it wasn't that big a deal to ask a person, me, to write an article and then not allow the whole thing to be sent to the publisher because no one from his family bothered to read it and say it was okay.
Yesterday, two months after the first deadline has passed, I needed to drop a key off at this woman's house. I told her that the article - remember the article? - would have to be rewritten because it isn't timely any more. Any references to 'yesterday' won't fly.
"Oh, I guess I kind of dropped the ball on that," she said. She giggled. Yes, she giggled right there in her driveway while I stood and looked at her. I wish I'd had a copy of this article with me. We could have read it together in her driveway in the rain. By the time we finished, I guarantee you that we would not have been all that wet.
Today, something happened. I'm not sure how to explain it. I'm done being mad.
I saw the woman's husband tonight and didn't say a word about the whole thing. He made a joke about something. It was a funny joke so I laughed. Yesterday, I wouldn't have been able to laugh.
It's good to be done being mad. I was done being mad today, about a lot of things. Is it really that simple? Maybe I can be done being mad about annoying stuff again tomorrow too.
Thank you for listening, jb
A couple of months ago, someone got me to write an article about something they were doing. I wrote it the day after the event and other people asked about me writing and submitting this article too. It was a good article. I promise you. It was.
The sad thing was that no one will ever read this article. After practically begging me to write it, this person hasn't read the copy I sent to her the next day to check facts and my spelling.
'Really,' I want to say, 'it's not even a page long!'
I've asked nearly every time I run into the family if someone could follow up on this. I've explained that I promised an article to the other people involved. After the first deadline passed, I was pissed. After the next deadline passed, I was well and truly pissed. After I saw this person's husband and mentioned it to him, I was furious because he seemed to think it wasn't that big a deal to ask a person, me, to write an article and then not allow the whole thing to be sent to the publisher because no one from his family bothered to read it and say it was okay.
Yesterday, two months after the first deadline has passed, I needed to drop a key off at this woman's house. I told her that the article - remember the article? - would have to be rewritten because it isn't timely any more. Any references to 'yesterday' won't fly.
"Oh, I guess I kind of dropped the ball on that," she said. She giggled. Yes, she giggled right there in her driveway while I stood and looked at her. I wish I'd had a copy of this article with me. We could have read it together in her driveway in the rain. By the time we finished, I guarantee you that we would not have been all that wet.
Today, something happened. I'm not sure how to explain it. I'm done being mad.
I saw the woman's husband tonight and didn't say a word about the whole thing. He made a joke about something. It was a funny joke so I laughed. Yesterday, I wouldn't have been able to laugh.
It's good to be done being mad. I was done being mad today, about a lot of things. Is it really that simple? Maybe I can be done being mad about annoying stuff again tomorrow too.
Thank you for listening, jb
Doing something nice for someone and the person doesn't even acknowledging it can be a disturbing experience.Happens to me,too. Makes me think if I did the right thing.But then I tell myself that "I did my job well, and that's what matters'.. makes me feel better,if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteThanks Arti. That makes me feel better.
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