Saturday, July 27, 2013

Ain't Nobody Got Time Fo Dat!

Pardon the poor use of the English language, but seriously--I don't have time for negativity.
I don't want to air out my family's dirty laundry but I have an aunt who is particularly prone to drama. She rarely speaks to me or my siblings unless it's to criticize something we are doing or aren't doing. I long ago decided I just wouldn't pay attention to her when she decided to pass harsh judgment on me for using food stamps and Medicaid and getting pregnant with my second child out of wedlock. Nevermind that I already did everything right the first time--I had a college degree, was working full time, was married for 3 years before having a child. I wasn't happy in that marriage and my ex-husband wasn't interested in working on it so I got out. My current marriage? Is everything I ever wanted and more. I got pregnant unexpectedly just five months into our dating relationship. We did not care--we knew we'd be together forever long before that because when you know, you just know. I lost my job 4 months later and was not able to get another job while pregnant. So we had to get help. And you know, there ain't no shame in my game. I worked, I put into the system, I genuinely needed the help so I asked for it and used it. Apparently that's not good enough for her, so she can just be happy over there without me in her life and I can just be happy over here without her in mine. I'll see her at Christmas and callit good. I don't NEED that kind of negativity in my life.
Recently she reached out to me and told me (and my siblings and some aunts and uncles) that we need to spend more time with Grandma. She said she sits and cries because nobody comes to visit her or calls her. (which isn't true, just not the particular people she wants to come visit or call all the time I guess?) She criticized us for forgetting about her. She isn't wrong. I don't call my grandma and I plan to make more of an effort to do so. Unfortunately I cannot go visit her because Batman, Monkey and I are all allergic to dogs and she has two. She can't come to me because she can't drive. I can't pick her up because I drive a matchbox car and she can't fit inside. But, I can call and so I shall.
The email was nothing short of confrontational and judgmental. But I wasn't mad. I just simply asked why she couldn't contact me for reasons other than to criticize me. She claimed she didn't know how to get in touch with me (umm my cell number hasn't changed in 10 years and she sure knew how to email me to give me the what for and two cents on what I should be doing!) She said she didn't care if people got mad at her over it. I told her I wasn't mad, because she wasn't wrong. But really, I don't have time to waste on negative energy.
Ain't nobody got time fo dat.

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