Monday, August 23, 2010

Reading between the lines

A recent "conversation" forced me to focus not on what is said aloud, but rather what isn't said aloud -- what is implied.

As many of you know, because I'm sure the only people who actually read this stuff know me and are considered friends, that my mother and stepfather live in a rural area of Tennessee. They own a very successful grocery store and deli called "Lucky's Bargain Barn"(yes, really). My mother also cares for many animals: 4 horses, one dog, one cat and a pig...and a partride in a pear tree. And before you get any ideas in your mind that their surroundings look like an episode of "Hoarders," just go ahead and back up. They have a nice house and a sprawling piece of land. Plenty of room for 4 horses, a pig, a dog, a cat, and even the partridge in a pear tree.

So the conversation (that has taken place more than once, mind you, as this is a person who knows me and my family fairly well) went a little something like this:

Person who shall remain nameless: "How's THE pig?!"
Me: Thinking in the back of my mind, "like you care," but being very polite... "The pig is fine."
Person who shall remain nameless: Dying of laughter.... "Where does the pig live?!"
Me: Getting really annoyed, because I have clearly answered this question before, and now it's just becoming a little game.... "Outside in a pen. It shares a barn with the horses."
Person who shall remain nameless: Still dying of laughter for no apparent reason... "And what is the pig's name?!"
Me: Really just over it at this point... "Piggy Sue"
Person who shall remain nameless:...Still dying of obnoxious laughter.

Now, it may or may not be apparent to you at home (or work) what this person was trying to accomplish. But to me, it was crystal clear.

You can try to your best to make others feel that they are less than you...but when you do so, you're the one who ends up looking like a PIG.

Have a nice day.

XOXO,
JB

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