All of the People, All of the Time

I have this fear that there are people who don't like me.  And this need to make them all like me.

I remember back to when I was young, and I found out that a girl in my class didn't particularly care for me.  I was horribly upset.  WHY doesn't she like me?! I would lament as I furiously wrote in my Cabbage Patch Diary. It became my mission to make her like me. I think that's when I started honing my sense of humor.  The fastest way to get someone to like you is to make them laugh. 

So, I became the funny girl.  And I played her relatively well.  I have a pretty good sense of reading people, so, throughout my life, whenever my little antennae would fixate on someone who was not particularly fond of me or what I was saying, I simply turned on the charm, and the funny, and gently guided that person on back to my side.  And that was it!  Easy queasy.

Only, I'm slowly starting to realize that it's not really necessary to have everyone like you, every time.  In fact, sometimes I feel like my need to not insult or alientate people has kept me from letting my true feelings out.  And my desire to not hurt someone's feelings has DEFINATELY hurt mine.

All this making sure that everyone loves me is downright exhausting.  And it gives me a headache.  And my lord, it drives me to drink.  And wine doesn't solve all problems, you know.

Well, most of them.  Oh, wine, how I love you...

Back to the topic, Dana.  From now on, I'm not going to obsess about everyone liking me.  I'm not going to hold back my thoughts for fear that they might make someone not like me.  I'm not going to sacrifice what I want to do, and do what everyone else wants to do, just because I don't want to ruffle any feathers.  I'm not going to say yes all of the time. 



Ok, I'm going to try to do all of the above.  Just because I've reconized a problem does not mean that I've recified it.  These things take time.  But, I'm starting with not letting the fact that people may not like me affect me. 

You can't please all of the people, all of the time. 

I think someone famous said that, like Confucious.  Or Britney Spears.

And, due to all of the cute pictures I post on this website, you probably think my daughter is the most photogenic, adorable, perfect, beautiful kid out there.  And you would be mostly right.  But not all pics head to Parents' Magazine.  And, hey, if I'm keeping it real, then I gotta make sure I keep it real in all facets of my life.

Sorry, kid.  Get over it.

.

.