So, as I am sure you can all imagine, I can talk. I can talk so much I can make Louie’s eyes roll into the back of his head, but you will never find me talking when someone else is addressing a crowd. Yet, I find it fascinating that every time I attend an event at my child’s school parents incessantly talk in the back while the speaker is addressing the crowd. Seriously, it is so rude, I can barely contain myself.
Last night Tiara and I showed up for a concert at Trinity’s school and we seated ourselves in the second to last row on the end, in case we needed to bolt for the door. This nice guy was sitting behind us and would randomly pick up Tiara’s crayons as we waited for the performance to start. Once it started another guy joined the man behind me and they started up this whole conversation with laughing and everything, while the principal was speaking. They actually still continued while she lead a prayer. Oh my God, really, are you serious right now? I looked back twice and tried to give them a nice “shut the F up look” without looking like a crazy bitch, but they didn’t take the hint. The only thing I could hear was their talking, I could’t hear the principal, I couldn’t hear the music teacher and I felt like I was going crazy. Yes, I know I sound bit dramatic but I was losing it.
Every nerve in my body was on alert and I just wanted to turn around and scream at the top of my lungs, “What the hell is wrong with you? Can’t you see the principal is speaking and now my kid is playing her violin and you are the rudest person in the whole world. Don’t you want to set a good example for your children, clearly not.” I knew I was going to lose it so I started planning my escape. I saw that 3 rows in front of me there was 2 open seats on the end. Do you think everyone would notice if TT and I got up with the crayon box and paper and walked up 3 rows? Hmmm. What if I started to get up and TT wouldn’t move? That was a definite possibility. Just as I resigned myself to defeat, the talking stopped. What, I turned around to see what had changed and there standing behind the men was our principal, Sister. Oh, relief, love that woman. She didn’t have to say a word, she just walked by them, and they Silenced. Power in its truest form. I was then able to go back to the show at hand and appreciate the music, while I started a conversation with myself in my head as to why I have always detested when people talk when they shouldn’t be talking.
My whole life this type of behavior has driven me crazy. I hated when kids would talk in class, in the library or during assembly. I finally figured out that if I sat in the front row of every class, the chance of people trying to talk to me during class or my ability to hear them would significantly decrease if I was perched right in front of the teacher. So that is what I did. In church, I am always scolding my own mother for talking or trying to talk. She gets so mad at me, but now that Tabitha hardly ever attends church with us, she no longer as an accomplice. Two weeks ago Tabitha showed up and the woman in front of us kept turning around to talk to my Mom and she was in heaven. Unfortunately it was Mother’s Day so I refrained from glaring at her. I am sure as much as everyone talking at inappropriate times drives me crazy , my years of shushing people and giving dirty looks makes those people equally as annoyed.
So I guess there are three camps, the shushers, the talkers and those who can ignore without having a tizzy fit. If only I could calm down and join the 3rd camp, life would be so much easier.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!!!
