unnecessary drama

People make big deals out of things that are not big deals. My husband has taken this religion thing way too far. I have a coworker who sighs and stomps and mutters under his breath in so-called stressful situations, which, in his life, happen every morning. Just a few minutes ago, another coworker, one of the people he manages, shyly asked him for an explanation, and you would have thought she was asking him to rewrite the dictionary for all the sighing and mumbling he did on the way to her desk. Our admin assistant texted me first thing this morning to let me know her babysitter quit and her husband thought she was the worst mother in the world, so she needed to bring her 3-year-old to work with her.

It's all so unnecessary. I'm not a morning person, either, but I don't snap at coworkers for no reason. A smile goes a long way, even a forced one, and can make even the person forcing it feel better. And an open and honest conversation with someone who has done something you don't like can often lead to discovery of misunderstandings or misconceptions, showing you that there was never anything to get upset about in the first place. Self-awareness is the most important-- I find it's so vital to be aware of every word you speak and glance you give. The ones that cause the most trouble are the ones you say or give without considering the consequences.

It's hard to do, and it's not something I accomplish every day. Just yesterday I pricked Emily's delicate sensitivities (she admits she is too sensitive) by a comment I made about education levels. She never finished her college degree. I meant my comment to be about knowledge levels, as in there are people who know more than all of us about certain things, not about degree levels. After all, a degree is only a piece of paper. Once I explained that, she understood, but it shows that occasionally even someone, like me, who picks her words like rolling each blueberry on the bush between her fingers to see which fall off gracefully and which are still holding on for dear life, can occasionally pluck one a little too soon.

So I'm staying surface today, in a sort of balancing act with all the crazy drama swirling around. I'm making my birthday list, slowly but surely-- close to two weeks til that. I told my husband I want my teeth whitened. I inherited my not-so-pearly-whites, but I'm sure years of Coke for breakfast hasn't helped them. I can't use the over the counter strips. After day 3 my teeth get so sensitive I can't even breathe in cool air without cringing. I'd like to get the zoom whitening done-- even if they get sensitive after that, it will fade after a few days, rather than using the strips for 20 days and having sensitivity problems the whole time. It's expensive, though, so we'll see. I told my mom I want a new pair of Tom's. I've got leftover pizza for lunch (too tired to cook last night, we got a new mattress over the weekend, and while I know I'll love it eventually, it's not my bed yet) and plans for shrimp and grits tonight. If the recipe is any good, I'll post it for you tomorrow.