Okay, I decided to not leave you hanging for another day or so...
The conclusion…
Beatrice’s heart was hurting as a result of all the things that Melanie had dished out to her in the past and she desperately wanted Melanie to experience the same type of pain. So what did she decide to do? To tell you the truth, I really don’t know what she decided to do. It’s funny how people will share things with you up until a certain point, or should I say… until they realize that you are not on the same page as them.
You see the day after Beatrice had dropped her plot in my lap; I went to her and asked her a couple of rhetorical questions regarding her on going saga with Melanie (that I believe may have thrown her for a loop). I posed them as rhetorical questions because I didn’t think that they justified an answer, I just threw them out there for her to simply ponder. The questions I asked were… “
1. Would you say you are a good person?
2. Would you say that you and Melanie share similarities?
But because Beatrice was understandably offended that I would place her in the same category as Melanie, she immediately responded with answers. You may be somewhat perplexed with her answer, as I was, considering that she’d been planning such a horrific plot (at least by my standards). She actually unequivocally stated that she was a good person and that “HELL NO” Melanie is evil, mean, and only looks out for herself… and that she is totally opposite. With this, I followed up with my final two rhetorical questions… “Are you really? Well, why are you allowing her to move you to do the very thing that you despise and deplore?” I had left Beatrice speechless and as a result she didn’t speak to me about the situation anymore. So to reiterate what I stated earlier on, I really don’t know what she decided to do.
What I do know is that, at that very moment, Beatrice had gotten in touch with her heart. It was obvious that she came to the realization that her planned plot didn’t match with the person she claimed to be, which leads me back to the question I posed at the beginning of this post in Part 1… “Isn’t it funny how sometimes we may find ourselves doing the very thing that we despised being done to us?”
The moral of this real life story is that no matter the situation we find ourselves in, we all must learn to stay true to who we are. When life is throwing us a curve ball, never be vindictive because… “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” - - M.K. Gandhi … In Beatrice’s case she was being blinded by who she’d become.
P.S. My prayer is that the lesson in this situation assists us with moving on through life's ups and downs with 20/20 vision!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Are we really who we say we are? (Part 2)
For my daughter of other lovers “Sinthya”… this is for you! :-)
Okay… where was I? Oh yeah, that’s right Beatrice had just about had enough of Melanie’s shenanigans so she plotted to get her back. So get this… Beatrice came to my desk one morning excited to share “what appeared to be a fool proof payback.” She had learned that Melanie would be attending a Christmas party and that when the party was over she would rat Melanie out for driving drunk. You see all though Melanie embraces business acumen and is extremely competent and sharp in the office, everyone who knows her, knows that she is pretty much a loose cannon when partying and doesn’t handle her alcohol well.
So yes, Beatrice being proud of her plot said that she would camp out in the office parking lot until the party was over. Once Melanie started her car to drive off, she said that she would anonymously phone the local police and drop a bomb “on that b*tch” by advising them that she just witnessed someone swerving on the road who is apparently drunk.
I knew that Melanie had caused Beatrice much grief in the past, but I still couldn’t help the shock I felt with hearing what she was planning. So, in an attempt to derail her plot, I said … “How can you be sure that the cops will catch her? By the time they respond to the call, she may be long gone by then.” But her reply was… “That is why I will provide them the demographic location, make, model and color of the car and the license plate number. With the license plate number they could run a check and meet the “b*tch” at her house when she pulls in her driveway.” After hearing her response, my shocked expression (that I was obviously failing to mask) prompted Beatrice to ask me what I thought she should do.
After a deep sigh, I said to her… “I know that Melanie has really hurt you in the past and therefore I can’t tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, but if it where me, I wouldn’t do it.” I also told her that I believe in Karma, so that what goes around comes around and that if she did nothing Melanie would eventually reap the results of her bad behavior towards her in time. Of course, Beatrice was being driven by anger and hatred and totally overlooked the fact that if she did this to Melanie that it would come back to haunt her too. Instead she responded that it appears that things always seem to go well for Melanie no matter the situation, and she, for once, wanted Melanie to suffer. I then went on to explain that she should do whatever her heart leads her to do and to be sure that whatever it is, she could live with it.
My strategy was to assist her with reaching deep into her heart for the answer. Why? Because I believe that the heart exudes love and not anger, hatred or revenge. When you consider the mere word “HEART,” negativity doesn’t enter the psyche. On the contrary, a heart that embraces negativity is a disheartened heart. A disheartened heart is a heart that is dispirited ... it's a heart that is in pain, therefore, hatred, anger and revenge can’t be the answer… it just doesn’t make sense to go that route.
You see Beatrice was thinking that if she paid Melanie back that it would heal and dissolve her pain when in fact it would just intensify it. Sure, Melanie may have gotten her license revoked which may have tarnished her “pure as the driven snow” business image; caused her many problems with renting cars while on business travel and getting to and from work (which was Beatrice’s ultimate goal) but it still leaves one pondering the question does revenge really heal the heart?
Part 3 (the conclusion) will be coming shortly… as I am sure you want to know what Beatrice decided to do… and who knows… I may even drop a little more wisdom that I’ve fortunately been blessed with as a result of having lived almost 43 years of life’s ups and downs!
Okay… where was I? Oh yeah, that’s right Beatrice had just about had enough of Melanie’s shenanigans so she plotted to get her back. So get this… Beatrice came to my desk one morning excited to share “what appeared to be a fool proof payback.” She had learned that Melanie would be attending a Christmas party and that when the party was over she would rat Melanie out for driving drunk. You see all though Melanie embraces business acumen and is extremely competent and sharp in the office, everyone who knows her, knows that she is pretty much a loose cannon when partying and doesn’t handle her alcohol well.
So yes, Beatrice being proud of her plot said that she would camp out in the office parking lot until the party was over. Once Melanie started her car to drive off, she said that she would anonymously phone the local police and drop a bomb “on that b*tch” by advising them that she just witnessed someone swerving on the road who is apparently drunk.
I knew that Melanie had caused Beatrice much grief in the past, but I still couldn’t help the shock I felt with hearing what she was planning. So, in an attempt to derail her plot, I said … “How can you be sure that the cops will catch her? By the time they respond to the call, she may be long gone by then.” But her reply was… “That is why I will provide them the demographic location, make, model and color of the car and the license plate number. With the license plate number they could run a check and meet the “b*tch” at her house when she pulls in her driveway.” After hearing her response, my shocked expression (that I was obviously failing to mask) prompted Beatrice to ask me what I thought she should do.
After a deep sigh, I said to her… “I know that Melanie has really hurt you in the past and therefore I can’t tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, but if it where me, I wouldn’t do it.” I also told her that I believe in Karma, so that what goes around comes around and that if she did nothing Melanie would eventually reap the results of her bad behavior towards her in time. Of course, Beatrice was being driven by anger and hatred and totally overlooked the fact that if she did this to Melanie that it would come back to haunt her too. Instead she responded that it appears that things always seem to go well for Melanie no matter the situation, and she, for once, wanted Melanie to suffer. I then went on to explain that she should do whatever her heart leads her to do and to be sure that whatever it is, she could live with it.
My strategy was to assist her with reaching deep into her heart for the answer. Why? Because I believe that the heart exudes love and not anger, hatred or revenge. When you consider the mere word “HEART,” negativity doesn’t enter the psyche. On the contrary, a heart that embraces negativity is a disheartened heart. A disheartened heart is a heart that is dispirited ... it's a heart that is in pain, therefore, hatred, anger and revenge can’t be the answer… it just doesn’t make sense to go that route.
You see Beatrice was thinking that if she paid Melanie back that it would heal and dissolve her pain when in fact it would just intensify it. Sure, Melanie may have gotten her license revoked which may have tarnished her “pure as the driven snow” business image; caused her many problems with renting cars while on business travel and getting to and from work (which was Beatrice’s ultimate goal) but it still leaves one pondering the question does revenge really heal the heart?
Part 3 (the conclusion) will be coming shortly… as I am sure you want to know what Beatrice decided to do… and who knows… I may even drop a little more wisdom that I’ve fortunately been blessed with as a result of having lived almost 43 years of life’s ups and downs!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Are we really who we say we are? (Part 1)
Isn’t it funny how sometimes we may find ourselves doing the very thing that we despised being done to us? What do I mean by this? Well, let me share a true story with you. (Note that the names used are fictitious in order to respect the privacy of the people involved.)
I know someone (Beatrice) who, in my opinion, has outwardly been taunted and mistreated by her coworker (Melanie). To make matters worse, Beatrice admittedly has low self-esteem, is comfortable with what is deemed as a "non-professional position" by corporate standards, and believes strongly in conspiracy theory. Therefore, even when she doesn’t have hardcore evidence that Melanie is trying to destroy her working relationships and/or trying to get her fired, she believes it anyway. As I’ve already stated, I’ve witnessed the nastiness that Melanie has dealt Beatrice, but sometimes it is blatantly evident to me that it is Beatrice perception alone that places Melanie at the scene of the crime.
On the other hand, Melanie has a great deal of confidence and as a result is aggressively climbing her way up the corporate “professional” ladder (and based on rumors it doesn’t seem to matter what she’ll do to get there) - - but again, what do I know, as I said this is merely rumored as the case. What I do know is that Melanie exists amongst the corporate elite and therefore has a great deal of power, wherein Beatrice, nine times out of ten, is looked upon as a peon.
Recently, Beatrice had about enough of Melanie’s shenanigans and plotted to do something about it. Hold on to your seats, because what I am about to share with you couldn’t be more vindictive if it was written for a soap opera.
Oops… got to go, my break is over… I’ll continue Part 2 of this story later… I promise. Look at it this way; it lessens the amount of reading you’ll have to do at one time. I’ll provide you with more in small doses instead of giving it to you all at once to eliminate a daunting read.
I know someone (Beatrice) who, in my opinion, has outwardly been taunted and mistreated by her coworker (Melanie). To make matters worse, Beatrice admittedly has low self-esteem, is comfortable with what is deemed as a "non-professional position" by corporate standards, and believes strongly in conspiracy theory. Therefore, even when she doesn’t have hardcore evidence that Melanie is trying to destroy her working relationships and/or trying to get her fired, she believes it anyway. As I’ve already stated, I’ve witnessed the nastiness that Melanie has dealt Beatrice, but sometimes it is blatantly evident to me that it is Beatrice perception alone that places Melanie at the scene of the crime.
On the other hand, Melanie has a great deal of confidence and as a result is aggressively climbing her way up the corporate “professional” ladder (and based on rumors it doesn’t seem to matter what she’ll do to get there) - - but again, what do I know, as I said this is merely rumored as the case. What I do know is that Melanie exists amongst the corporate elite and therefore has a great deal of power, wherein Beatrice, nine times out of ten, is looked upon as a peon.
Recently, Beatrice had about enough of Melanie’s shenanigans and plotted to do something about it. Hold on to your seats, because what I am about to share with you couldn’t be more vindictive if it was written for a soap opera.
Oops… got to go, my break is over… I’ll continue Part 2 of this story later… I promise. Look at it this way; it lessens the amount of reading you’ll have to do at one time. I’ll provide you with more in small doses instead of giving it to you all at once to eliminate a daunting read.
Relating to the Sleep Deprived (Me)
Okay... get this, I am on vacation from work and school until January 2, 2008, so why can't I get to bed on time or wake up on my own? Well for starters my boyfriend, in whom I will refer to as "Mr. S" moving forward, decided to phone me at 11:45 p.m. last night and we talked until 1:30 a.m. Don't get me wrong, I welcomed hearing from him - - not to mention that it's promising and sweet that we continue to enjoy each others conversations after being in a relationship for coming up on five years - - the point is that I realize that he would have never phoned me that time of night if I had work or school the next day.
This morning, the younger of my sisters phoned me at 9:30 a.m. waking me up and just like Mr. S, I welcomed her call... but must admit I would have preferred waking up on my own. Granted, I function at my best when I have had 8 hours of sleep and was just about there, but (to no fault of my sister*) I would have rathered awakened on my own. To tell you the truth, normally when I am working and schooling**, I get anywhere from 6-7 hours of sleep on a regular basis... so being on vacation and striving for 8 hours is something that I hold dear... it is a big part of vacationing for me. My sister and I had a brief conversation about her call awakening me and I learned that she can't sleep past 5-6 hours... "NOT I"... I would be walking into brick walls from complete exhaustion if I called myself sleeping for 5-6 hours for more than 3 days in a row.
The good news is that I am on vacation, so considering that I went to bed late and didn't wake up on my own, I am encouraged to take a nap... Ahhh... "a nap" the sound of it is oh so comforting. I've come to the realization that it doesn't matter that if I go to bed on time or am awaken before my body wants me to be... while I am on vacation I can successfully put sleep deprivation on the back burner. Vacations are great!
Well got to get my day started (working out, cleaning, shopping, wrapping gifts... etc.) so until the next time... caio for now!
* How could she have known that I stayed up late talking on the phone ...
** My classes are held on Saturday mornings... so the only day I get to sleep in late is Sunday - - I know it sucks and is a real sacrifice, but the reward will be grand!
This morning, the younger of my sisters phoned me at 9:30 a.m. waking me up and just like Mr. S, I welcomed her call... but must admit I would have preferred waking up on my own. Granted, I function at my best when I have had 8 hours of sleep and was just about there, but (to no fault of my sister*) I would have rathered awakened on my own. To tell you the truth, normally when I am working and schooling**, I get anywhere from 6-7 hours of sleep on a regular basis... so being on vacation and striving for 8 hours is something that I hold dear... it is a big part of vacationing for me. My sister and I had a brief conversation about her call awakening me and I learned that she can't sleep past 5-6 hours... "NOT I"... I would be walking into brick walls from complete exhaustion if I called myself sleeping for 5-6 hours for more than 3 days in a row.
The good news is that I am on vacation, so considering that I went to bed late and didn't wake up on my own, I am encouraged to take a nap... Ahhh... "a nap" the sound of it is oh so comforting. I've come to the realization that it doesn't matter that if I go to bed on time or am awaken before my body wants me to be... while I am on vacation I can successfully put sleep deprivation on the back burner. Vacations are great!
Well got to get my day started (working out, cleaning, shopping, wrapping gifts... etc.) so until the next time... caio for now!
* How could she have known that I stayed up late talking on the phone ...
** My classes are held on Saturday mornings... so the only day I get to sleep in late is Sunday - - I know it sucks and is a real sacrifice, but the reward will be grand!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Spooked out of sleep...
Hi fellow blogger and anyone else who may have otherwise stumbled across my place of life, love and laughter. This morning I woke up to the sounds of howling... it took me a moment to figure out what the H-E- double hockey sticks was going on, but after recollecting the weather broadcast the night before, I realized that it was predicted that we'd experience 50 mile per hour winds today. The wind was gusting with such a force that it sounded as if my home was being haunted... not to mention my wind chimes added to the sound affects. Spooked the crap out of me until I gained complete conciousness. I was happy to learn that the ghost of Christmas past was not coming to get me and was equally as happy that I didn't have to get up early for work*... it was really nice to just turn over, snuggle deeper within my comforter to snooze a little while longer before starting my day.
Well, I am up and about now and will be heading out to UPS shortly to return a L.L. Bean gift I picked up for my sweetie** for Christmas. The item that I am returning is a sweat suit, but the large size pants looked like my whole body could fit in one of the pant legs - - what the h*ll... right... I chalk it up as one of the disadvantages of shopping online. I tell you with every passing year it gets harder and harder to shop for him. It's probably because he really isn't a gadget man, doesn't wear jewelry, and in terms of fashion, he wears casual outdoor sports clothing unless their is a special occasion - - in a nutshell picking out Christmas gifts for him becomes extremely hard. I on the other hand am completely different, I love clothes, jewelry, and anything that has to do with fashion in general, although I must admit that I am not overly obsessed with gadgets either. In any case, I should get going because after I ship out the return I have to take some time to shop around for a replacement gift and as I stated it's going to be a feat!
P.S. Let's pray that the gusty winds don't blow me to smithereens! ;-)
* I am on vacation from work until January 2, 2008 - - I know... it's a blessing, but believe me as hard as my job works me... it is well deserved!
** My boyfriend
Well, I am up and about now and will be heading out to UPS shortly to return a L.L. Bean gift I picked up for my sweetie** for Christmas. The item that I am returning is a sweat suit, but the large size pants looked like my whole body could fit in one of the pant legs - - what the h*ll... right... I chalk it up as one of the disadvantages of shopping online. I tell you with every passing year it gets harder and harder to shop for him. It's probably because he really isn't a gadget man, doesn't wear jewelry, and in terms of fashion, he wears casual outdoor sports clothing unless their is a special occasion - - in a nutshell picking out Christmas gifts for him becomes extremely hard. I on the other hand am completely different, I love clothes, jewelry, and anything that has to do with fashion in general, although I must admit that I am not overly obsessed with gadgets either. In any case, I should get going because after I ship out the return I have to take some time to shop around for a replacement gift and as I stated it's going to be a feat!
P.S. Let's pray that the gusty winds don't blow me to smithereens! ;-)
* I am on vacation from work until January 2, 2008 - - I know... it's a blessing, but believe me as hard as my job works me... it is well deserved!
** My boyfriend
The Start of Something New
Here I am trying something new. I got the idea of blogging from my daughter and hope that I can be half as committed as she is with keeping up with it. To this, I just want to warn you not to grow to accustomed to visiting because I may eventually treat my blog like I would treat a plant. What do I mean? Well most people who have plants brag that they have a "green thumb" - - but I don't have plants because I have what I refer to as a "blue thumb." However, I really don't want this new venture to die from neglect... so I am going to try my best to keep it going. As my title states this blog will be a simple place for me to come to escape life's roller coaster, which I tend to ride more often than I'd like... so when I experience these ups and downs, I will pay tribute to life, love and laughter here and hope you'll enjoy the ride with me!
Well it's almost 1 a.m. in the morning so until the next time... good night!
Well it's almost 1 a.m. in the morning so until the next time... good night!
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