COMMUNITY?

Something funny is going on here in my life over the past few days.  It seems that I am being easily baited by very ignorant people and slipping too easily into old negative patterns of falling into junior high behavior and responding to it instead of ignoring it and walking away so to speak.

This evening, when I did walk away, went to the hospital, had a great visit with my son and family only to find that even though I was no longer involved in said conversation, I was apparently now the center of this womans' bad day.  Having made a few comments and highlighting my name in them, and continuing on even after I unfriended and blocked her.  I have never met, and don't want to. You can be sure that no matter how good the food is I will not be eating her food or referring her business, on the contrary, I will be dissuading everyone I know not to eat in her eatery for her cafeteria food!

I am a fan of local businesses and know many of the local business owners on a first name basis and they know me as well.  I stop in with many of them just to say Hi and on days when I am feeling not so cheery, they help me change my perspective (Thanks Teddy, Chin, Steve, just to name a few!)  I used to co own a business in West Stockbridge for five years and when I left people from three towns missed me and although it is 15 years later, when I run into my customers they talk and we laugh and share stories, hell, I have customers from when I was 16 and worked at Friendly's who followed me from restaurant to restaurant!

She disrespected a large portion of our community and I for one hate when people throw around words like living off the government and entitlement, and your parents should have taught you how to get a job and work.  Really?  Those people probably spend a portion of their social security checks on your food, and you want to take their money, smile and say thank you and then put them down on a social network!  She friends people randomly just to promote her business, when she friended me, I asked her if we knew each other, and she said no - this is how she gets business.  I hope there are others like me who she friended who are totally insulted by her narrow minded and insensitive remarks who do what should be done which is not to patronize her business!

If you want to make such judgemental remarks, say them on the phone to your mother, lover, girlfriend, boyfriend - whatever, don't insult the rest of the world by assuming they feel the same way, and if you do make hateful remarks, own them!!! Don't attack the person that says wow, that was harsh!  I knew I should have passed by the post, but how could I?  I am a little person who has always defended the little people.  I am not about to stop now, regardless!

The economy is in bad trouble everywhere, and alienating a large portion of people with remarks such as they were and not owning what you said and turning it around on another person is sickening!  How many people with mental health or disability issues want to be in that position?  The fact that they get government money and you don't and you think they make more than you?  Then you are in the wrong business because the roughly $900 or so that a person on social security gets a month does not cover much beyond rent, heat OR food.   Catch the heat or food part?

Also to say that people on food stamps do not eat healthy food anyway and do not come in your business is very rude and wrong!  How judgemental and irritating it is to me personally!  I do get social security, I do have a life, but I go to most of my events that I attend if they are not costing money, not by choice.  If I had the money I would pay for them, but volunteering does have its perks!  And I have been very fortunate to experience many great and wonderful people and events, helping me to change my negative view on people and the city I live in in general!

I haven't bought new clothes in many years, besides sneakers with my one remaining J.C. Penney credit card.  The last new to me clothes I got I bartered for, as I do most things.  I used to work and get paid $600 or more a week in my marketing job.  Do you think that it is any picnic to live on $900 a month?  In this economy it is not!  I went without oil last year - no hot showers, no heat, except for space heaters!  I got $16 a month in food stamps for two people.  Have you ever tried to live on that?  I don't think so!

Do you think I asked to get hit by a drunk girl and not get anything from it other than a disability?  How bout when I returned to work and got rear ended at a red light 4 months later which ended my career and my life?  I am still walking, talking, living and breathing, have all my limbs and don't look disabled, but I am in pain constantly, which I try to ignore or block out, and do not take medication for anymore and wouldn't even if I could find a doctor in my city who doesn't label every patient as a drug addict looking for drugs.  I wouldn't take a pain pill if I was in level 20 pain!!!

I owned my own house, until I did the American thing and refinanced and got bait and switched and lost everything, including the A++ credit it took me a long time to establish as a single parent raising three boys on my own with no support. To my credit, I had saved over $20,000 before my accident to buy my house, which I had to use to live while I was on Workman's Comp, and I did not even get that back when I settled my case.  I wish I could afford a lawyer to help straighten out my mess!

Did I ask for this?  Do I enjoy this?  Do I think it is alright for someone who "had a hard knock life" to bash others who have not been fortunate enough to rise above there misfortune?  NO, NO and definitely NO!!!  The world is messed up enough with out people putting down the less fortunate people in our community!  That is what is wrong with the world today!

Here I thought that I was getting into a good mindset.  Maybe I am just fooling myself, thinking that being nice to people, regardless of whether they wear suits, dresses, or baggy clothes would make a difference in this world!

I for one am insulted, offended and outraged!  Shame on you Brenda and Co!  I make my own homemade soups, desserts and cook really good food, I would spit on yours if it was worth it!  I am more mad at being sucked into another persons negative and narrow world!  Mad at myself and probably wont even sleep a wink tonight because of it!

So much for the universe getting back in line!  I think I was wrong in that respect!  If  "in line" means being consumed with anger then I am screwed!  I refuse to let this woman's negativity bother me any longer however!  Don't let my evil side out!  Give me strength to give it to god!  Sorry for the rant, but how is the world supposed to be a better place when people are so narrow minded and disrespectful?