Sunday, May 9, 2010

Open mouth, insert foot.

Do you ever open your mouth and just puke out something so fast that you didn't even consider running it through your filter, only to sit back and think "Aw crap. Shoulda edited that one"? So then you have two options. Backpedal like you are going for Olympic Gold and thus look like a nutjob, or you can try to distract and redirect everyone onto a new subject. Whatever the solution, you then end up running that conversation over and over in your head for months, perhaps even years, wishing you hadn't opened your mouth at all.

Its really quite funny how hard we are on ourselves. I said something yesterday that wasn't really that awful and it actually required some explaining, but once you say something kind of offensive and stupid, people have already made a judgement about you, so is it really necessary to try and frame it up for them?

I had met up with a friend, her daughter, mother-in-law and some people she knew to hang out and chat after being at the beach for a bit. We got on this conversation about Facebook and how its the new anti-socializing socializing, which is actually perfect for me, being the social retard that I am. Anyway, so we were talking about peoples updates and how it really tells us a lot about them. My friends MIL stated how this one "friend" of hers actually thinks she is quite important and has to state where she is at all times and who she is rubbing elbows with, while another seems to just broadcast how negative and depressed they are. Neither are things I hope to be broadcasting, so I say "How do mine come across?" My friend replies "Yours are just sarcastic." to which I reply "Eesh, I hate sarcastic people". My friends MIL's eyes, whom I've met several times before, got really big from this comment. As if to say "Well, hell, she must hate me then!"

Now, since I have time to explain to YOU, I will defend my comment....although I really wish I had run that sucker through a filter because I would have said instead "Really? Huh. Interesting!" Here is where my mind went immediately.

I thought about the dating world. I thought about all the guys I have gone on dates with who were SO SARCASTIC aaaaalll the time, that there wasn't a shot in hell that I would ever get to see who they really were. It was really exhausting. So now, if I read a guys profile and he says he is really sarcastic, I avoid him....at all costs. And maybe that is wrong of me, but I have been to hell and back with the sarcastic jokesters that are terrified to even let a bit of who they really are out.

So am I sarcastic? Me? Naaaaaah.......ok, maybe a litte. But I feel there is a time and place for it. I am learning and growing with its use. I rarely bring it on dates because it keeps my date at arms length and if I do bust it out, I make sure it is TOTALLY obvious that I am being sarcastic so there is no question of "was she kidding?". Its difficult enough to date, but to add a guessing game on top of it makes it downright painful. (I'd rather have my nails ripped off with pliers.....and yes, that was sarcasm)

This all leads me to wonder......how annoying is sarcasm? I like it at times, in the right situation, but do other people get annoyed that I am like this? I then think, do I really give a crap what people think? I guess a little, but more of it is to make sure that I am bringing a balance to it all. Like our conversation about peoples updates, I have friends that have one level of updates and its either they hate the world ALL THE TIME, or they love every day with passion ALL THE TIME, or they are telling us they are going to bed EVERY SINGLE DAY. I try really hard to not post the boring "I just got back from grocery shopping". I try and make them at least a little interesting. Yes. Sometimes I am just at the beach enjoying the weather and I have to share, but do I feel the need to post the ENTIRE experience? No.

10:52 "Going to the beach!"

10:57 "Yay! Laying on the beach!"

11:03 "Wow, the waves are HUGE today!"

11:05 "Just watched a surfer go over the falls!"

12:17 "Maybe I need some sunscreen."

12:31 "Sunscreen on!"

Alright....I'm bored just writing that. But my point is, I try to write things that are all over the place and somewhat interesting even though they may be twisted at times. (I blame my parents! You know who you are!......sarcasm.) So I will try to employ my filters a wee bit more. I know I have them....somewhere. In the meantime, I think I'm going to the beach and I need to update my Facebook status immediately with this because people want to know EVERYTHING I do! (I'm very important you know.)

(sarcasm)


1 comment:

Unknown said...

I love your sarcasm...it's hilarious, not annoying. BTW, I can't believe I'm mentioned in a blog!
I don't think you offended anyone. MIL didn't even mention the conversation.
You are intelligent, funny & witty! And I'm not just being sarcastic!