Monday, January 28, 2008

today, part 2 - "issues with people"

i never considered myself beautiful. i have features that do not fit popular culture's standards of beauty. my parents let me know early in life that i wasn't perfect (i know it's not unusual....many people have similar stories). so i decided that i would make myself beautiful "on the inside". to my young mind that meant being nice. it meant not letting people feel uncomfortable. it meant not showing people when i was sad or angry. it meant ignoring insensitive comments, or not calling people on their rudeness. it meant ignoring or hiding my feelings when people did or said things that hurt me...i would think that if i was good, and nice, and thoughtful, and calm, and peaceful, and sensitive to others, that it would make up for....well, for anything else i was lacking... and it would mean that i would not have to be alone....

and now...i'm finally realizing how wrong i was. i'm realizing that i let some people treat me with less than what i deserved, with less respect, with less caring.... i am realizing now that this was all a part of allowing people to not value me because i did not think myself as worthwhile as everyone else....because i did not value myself..

did not value myself...

the words hang there...still raw....

but i'm learning.

and i'm going to have to learn how to not put up with less than i deserve anymore...i'm going to learn to say "fuck you" to people when i need to.... i'm going to learn to be okay with not making other people happy...i'm going to learn how to say when enough is enough....because i'm done....i'm just done.

11 comments:

Middle Girl said...

I resemble some of your remarks. Cheers x 3 to beginnings anew and re-invention self.

prin said...

(hugs)

Assertion doesn't necessarily imply not being nice. It just means you're being nicest to yourself sometimes... That's what they tell me anyway. ;)

Just say no.

Janet said...

I was watching Oprah the other day. Gavin Debacker was on - he said "when a man says 'no' it's the end of the discussion. When a woman say's 'no' it's the beginning of negotiations". He was commenting that women need to be more assertive and was commenting on society.

His words hang in the air - sadly they are so true.

alan said...

It's taken me 40 years to finally begin to "put my foot" down in some instances.

My children have actually picked on me for not telling my wife "no" on occasion!

But especially as I correspond with others here, I find I am not the monster I once thought...

Thank you for that!

alan

jl said...

thank you all for your comments...i'm realizing how hard it is to break some long held habits...but i'm on my way... :)
j.

Shazza said...

Good for you! These are hard steps to take, but it's well worth it.

nina michelle said...

wow I really relate to this post! thank you for writing it... as TOD said "I resemble these remarks".

oxox
nina

Lesbianlife said...

I agree this post resonates with me as well. I have found refuge in feminist studies, and Ani Di.franco. I enjoy your writing thank you for being so honest.

Maria said...

I used to be much more inclined to keep my mouth shut, but I found as I aged, I got mouthier. I suppose when I am 65, I will be a total hellcat.

Unknown said...

It's amazing isn't it how the negative labels our parents and others put on us in our childhood leads to us continuously creating our own.

Usually when you spend your life making others happy it means you have spent your life unhappy, why should anyone have to sacrifice self to make someone else happy? if they care for you shouldn't your unhappiness make them unhappy too?

You should never have to settle for less than you deserve, you should never have to settle period!

You ARE beautiful J, beautiful, intelligent, passionate, compassionate, witty. The thought that someone with as much to offer as you has been settling for less doesn't leave much hope for the rest of us.

When you figure out how NOT to settle, perhaps you can offer online classes! ;-)

~LK said...

. . .And that journey of learning is what it's really all about. It's okay to be done but I didn't need to tell you that. THANK YOU for your kind words about the loss of my cat. It meant more than I can express. Take care.