Hidden Meanings

It’s raining this morning, so plan to head to the University Campus, load up on Pokéballs are scraped. It’ll be keeping warm and dry today with needlepoint and catching up on recorded television programs.

Woke up yesterday to find the March Activity Calendar posted to the door.

Not much going on this month, other than the same ol same ol – Pizza Tuesday, Crochet Class, Bingo, Movie Night.

Monthly birthday celebrations looks to be a thing once again. It seems The Baker’s making cupcakes for mine shamed the Activity Director into restarting that event, because there was a cake for the February birthdays and, on the calendar, it shows March Birthday Celebration on the 20th, with pie instead of cake.

St. Patrick’s Day is being celebrated with a potluck on the 6th.

I’ll check it out and, if there’s baked potatoes and cabbage, as has been in the past, I’ll be able to eat. Not sure if my gut will accept corned beef, so I won't risk it.

Not yet sure if I’ll take the easy way out and bring a Starbucks Traveler as my contribution to the event, or whether I’ll bring Lay’s Potato chips – smile bags of course, so residents can take funny photos with the smile bags.

I’m leaning towards Starbucks, because so many are fuddy duddies that can’t break free and do silly fun things.

Also attached to my door was an envelope, addressed to me, with this “I Was Thinking …” card inside

The inside sentiment was, “You Deserve Thanking”.

What did I do to be thanked for? thought I. However, looking at things I was being thanked for in comments, such as “Thanks for your help and support” … “You make us all visible! Looking good”, I understood it was for taking photos and providing prints to residents, for attending and supporting Resident Volunteer Committee activities, and for setting up and maintaining the Committee’s facebook page.

Two comments gave me pause -- that of one of the two Community bullies and that of Assistant Maintenance Guy.

I had to give the bully credit for not declining to sign, as I’ve had no qualms about openly declining to sign when I was presented with a card for her birthday, and not because I dislike her -- I don’t have feelings towards her one way or the other. It’s just that I’m done with extending myself, being nice with people who aren’t nice with me. The Bully is a non-entity to me, doesn’t exist in my awareness, and she made that easy when she shopped speaking to me over two years ago.

What brought about her not speaking to me, walking in another direction to avoid me when she sees me out and about, was that I challenged her behavior in a meeting when she was being awful to someone.

I’d seen her being awful to others many times before, minded my own business, but Infinite Spirit wasn’t having it this time and used me to shut her down. I had no intention to get involved, didn’t even see it coming, just all of a sudden heard an authoritative voice come out of my mouth saying, “You’re being rude. Knock it off”.

She was stunned at being challenged in a room full of others, I was stunned the words had come from me, but she did indeed knock it off. However, in retaliation, the bully hasn’t spoken to me since – not even when we one day happened to be standing side-by-side at the mailboxes.

She used to get a distasteful look on her face and turn up her noise when she’d see me. I’d laugh. I’m guessing not the reaction she expected because, whereas she has so many afraid of her, she now looks like she’s afraid of me.

At any rate, I don’t think her signing my card means she’s over it and is coming back around. Especially since her comment was about as ungenerous as could be … “Take care”.

LOL.

HMG’s comment of “Thanks for everything” gave me pause because, in light of recent events -- his getting in trouble for walking off the job and not responding to my emergency on-call request, I’m wondering if “Thanks for everything” has a hidden meaning behind it. Is he really saying, “Thanks a lot for helping to get me in trouble”.

?????