LANDING THE SECOND PUNCH...

When you lob an insult, it's bound to land somewhere. Since you can't hurt feelings of an inanimate object… it's safe to assume that the lobbed insult will land on a person. One can only hope that the recipient has thick enough skin to cushion the blow, and if not, …here's hoping you can run really fast!

The story I'm about to relate may not be one that you might typically find on a genealogy blog or a history blog for that matter. It is, however, a part of my personal history, and so I'm qualifying it as a family story.

 If ignorance is bliss, then I ran into one of the happiest people on earth several months ago. Let me say that I do not dress up on the weekends to run errands. On this particular morning, I went to the hardware store to pick up a couple of those 3M removable hangers. I thought I looked particularly chic that morning, [said with a shrug]. In my standard weekend attire of jeans, a t-shirt, sneakers, and no makeup, I bumped into this woman that I had worked with a couple of years ago. She always seemed to be a pleasant individual, and so when she approached me in the store, I greeted her with a friendly smile and said, 'hello.' Her response to me was slightly less social when she said, 'hi, you know you should never leave the house without makeup' and proceeded to walk away. I was somewhat taken aback. The unsolicited comment from someone who didn't exactly look like a page out of Vogue magazine either, [and for the record, never did] was rude and insulting. 

  

I admit that my tongue has always been a little sharp, but I generally do not go out of my way to hurt a person's feelings, because I'm not too fond of it when it happens to me. It serves no purpose. That doesn't mean that I don't mutter under my breath or make snarky comments while being gossipy with a friend. After all, I'm not a saint, but I try to keep it to a minimum and, at the very least, not do it in public. So, shortly after the verbal vomit that I had just been subjected to...I found myself following behind for a few steps and plotting what I would say to my former coworker in response. 

As we were both approaching the exit, the moment arrived. In a clear, unemotional voice, I snapped back ...' well, you may be right about my appearance but, at least when I put makeup on...I know how to do it. Would you like me to help you with yours?' I left her standing there with a slightly stunned expression on her face as I continued to walk out of the store.  

I will never understand anyone that thinks it is okay to insult, belittle, or try to embarrass another human being, all in the name of "constructive criticism." When the shoe is on the other foot, however, and the "critic" becomes the target of the negative remarks, they are often astonished or incensed. I'm sure when she told her family and friends about the incident, she was the innocent victim, and I was the instigator. I will say that it was not one of my proudest moments, and I hate that she reduced me to her level of ignorance, but it did feel good to give back as good as I got for once.  

Maybe the moral of this story ended up being...never mess with a woman wearing jeans, a t-shirt, sneakers, and no makeup! I would have much preferred...treat others the way you want to be treated...with kindness and respect. Maybe next time.

  

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