Frustration

[cjsmith]

Do you ever hear someone pontificating -- preaching -- about something that's fairly new to him and old hat to you? Under what circumstances does it or does it not bug you?

I find I can mostly shrug it off when it's about some kind of technical subject. If I know the speaker is a total fool or severely misinformed, then that's just the way it is, with no need for irritation. But I find I can't shrug it off when it's about living with foot pain or staying fit with a disability. Usually the preacher is not permanently disabled, just temporarily injured in some way, and my GOD the things they think are Big News to someone who's dealt with this for years. Sometimes I think the speaker is trying to be helpful; other times it's pretty clear the speaker is trying to chide me for how I handle things. In the latter case I just want to SLAP the person. My kinder side hopes karma doesn't work, because the appropriate end story to that one is a permanent disability with chronic pain.

Clearly my buttons are getting pushed. I wonder when my foot problems will be so firmly an accepted part of me that I don't even have buttons to push any more. In the meantime, I hope I can mostly avoid that kind of person. I don't want to turn rude and bitter.

Comments

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

I once witnessed this phenomenon with regard to death. A dear friend had lost her husband, and at the reception after the memorial service, some twit started yakking on and on at my friend about how hard it had been to lose her dog six months earlier. Now, I love my dog beyond most things, but I'm thinking losing a husband would be a rather more traumatic experience in most cases, no?

Anyway, it was fascinating in a slow-motion car wreck sort of way. The best bit was watching the speaker's face as she realized that what she was nattering about wasn't the least bit appropriate. I give her a few points for that.

[meep.livejournal.com]

I've been ninja'd!

Jinx!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yikes. :-(