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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Being Bossy

Imelda wondered this afternoon, amidst giggles, what will happen in a couple of months, when my celebrity light has dimmed, and I try to boss people around.

OK, those of you who know me can stop laughing now.

Really.  I mean it.  Stop laughing.

See.... I'm even doing it now.  Because this is who I am.  I boss people around.


 Someone must have reinforced it when I was young.  Imelda was admiring my baby picture... at least I thought she was admiring it until I listened more closely and found that she was laughing at my sense of annoyance, of being interrupted while performing very important chewing.  Uh, people.... I'm busy here!


She marveled that my parents chose this particular shot, one with so much attitude, instead of a more traditional portrait.  She thinks it says a lot about them.  I'd never considered that before.  I do know that I still have that handset.

But I digress.

When we played house in elementary school, I was always the dad.  Imagine us, 6 and 7 and 8 years old, outlining the walls of our family's home with the fallen leaves on the asphalt playground... on the girls' side. Only the kindergarten kids had co-ed recess; 1958 was such a different world.  

While the boys played ball games we created leafy domesticity.  Aunts, cousins, sisters, babies, grandmothers, mothers and one dad - me.  I used to think that they were being mean, not letting me be female, separating me from themselves because I was younger and had skipped a grade and joined their class 8 days into 1st grade. 

In retrospect, from Imelda's perspective, perhaps it was just obvious to them that I was the dad.  I'd been bossing people around my whole life, and so did the Dad in their life.  

If teenagers are idiots, maybe it's just because they have had more time to refine the inanity of elementary school.  It certainly seems true in my case.

I'm a terrible board member - just ask anyone who has ever served on one with me.  I'm too bossy.  I'm a good parliamentarian, a good presiding officer, but otherwise you really don't want to have me sitting next to you around the table.  Policies and procedures are your friends is my board mantra; if I can't be in charge then just follow the rules, please.

TBG tells me that I was bossing the nurses and techs and doctors from the moment I was fully conscious.  Truth be told, he tells people that he knew his wife was back from the brink when he heard me giving orders.

Now, I didn't think they were orders.  I just wanted to be sure that what needed to be done was done, and done right the first time so that there didn't have to be a second time.  I was just asking for what I needed, and, as Imelda and I agreed this afternoon, the world would run a lot more smoothly if everyone was honest about what they needed.

And if that isn't the most positive take on bossiness you've ever read then I want to know what is.

(There I go again......)

8 comments:

  1. OMG! I'm sitting here laughing hysterically. That picture is too funny! I'm somewhat bossy too, so I can relate. I just am up front and honest about what I want and I cannot stand incompetence.

    Hope you are having a good day.

    Megan xxx

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  2. With people like you in the world, how can the day be anything but wonderful! Now go have some fun!!
    a/b

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  3. I am bossy too and can't stand incompetence either. Or what's even worse in my opinion: people who are competent but don't care if they do a good job or not. Grr....

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  4. I remember that you were upset because someone did not put the knives, spoons and forks in the correct slots in the kitchen drawers at the group home. I would not call it bossy, though you were my boss, possibly just assertive.

    I love reading your blogs. Saying a prayer for you each day. Ann

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  5. Laura has it just right, AP....you were all competent, some of you just didn't care. Assertive is nice.... bossy is, I think, more honest!
    a/b

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  6. I LOVE that you are bossy.

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  7. We must be a lot alike. Robert's Rules of Order is my Bible, and God help you if you say "I make a motion..."!! I love that photo; I think your parents had a sense of humor.

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  8. This is my vote for Top Burrow Post Ever! Your parents were ahead of their time and boy, were they proud of you and your spirit. G'ma gets extra hugs from me for this picture; she had some real parenting genius back then.

    " Imagine us, 6 and 7 and 8 years old, outlining the walls of our family's home with the fallen leaves on the asphalt playground... on the girls' side."

    My cousins and I did this with kite string looped around the huge oak trees and pear trees in my grandmother's yard. I was architect and building supervisor, casting director, scriptwriter, and star. It's hard work being right, isn't it?

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