LJ Idol Week 2 - What really matters
I.
- You are a bad child.
- But why?
- You don’t play with your sister, don’t cuddle her, don’t enjoy being with her!
- I am sorry. But she is loud and grabs me and that scares me. Why does this matter?
- We cannot love you if you aren’t nice to your sister.
- I will try to be nicer, so you will love me!
I tried, but I was not good at it. I tried some more and learned to pretend.
- You are a bad girl.
- But why?
- You don’t allow your uncle to kiss you on your mouth and hug you!
- I am sorry. But he makes me feel uncomfortable. Why does this matter?
- You will never be a lovable woman if you behave so kratzbürstig (bristly) with men.
- I will try to do what he wishes, so I will become a lovable girl!
I tried, and he said I was improving, while I became numb.
- You are a bad pupil.
- But why? My grades are good, and I always know everything when asked!
- You never talk to other children and are restless during the lessons.
- I am sorry. But it makes me feel troubled to be with others in a room for so long. Why does this matter?
- How do you think anybody will like you if you disturb others when you can’t sit still and don’t chat to them when you are outside?
- I will try to behave, and to stay with the others, so they will like me!
I tried and sometimes I succeeded but they still didn’t like me, and then I became so overwhelmed that I shut down my mind.
II.
- You are a bad chum.
- But why? I always help you with your homework when you need it!
- You don’t want to hang out with the others, and you run away when we drink some beer and do funny games!
- I am sorry. But I hate how people become when they drink, and I never know how to behave during those games. Why does this matter?
- How do you think you’ll ever be really part of a group, if you don’t want to be cheerful and social?
- I will try to spend more time with your friends and behave like everybody else, so you will continue to like me!
I tried but always felt miserable and alcohol made me sick, so I did not try anymore and stayed on my own.
- You are a bad girlfriend.
- But why? I let you touch me and kiss me and do everything you want!
- You always want to be alone with me and never go out with others! You don’t want to watch funny shows, go on weekend trips, and get drunk together!
- I am sorry. But I like to be just with you, when we are with others, I never know what to say. And I am afraid of you when you are drunk! Why does this matter?
- How do you think I could ever marry somebody who wants only to hang on to me and not have fun with others?
- I will try to behave like you want, so you will continue to like me!
I tried, but just could not stand the stupidity of drunk people, so I left him.
- You are a bad employee.
- But why? I am always fast and do what I am asked to!
- You are too reserved, and you are not able to work in a team. You never eat lunch with the others and never stay longer than for your paid hours.
- I am sorry! But if I have finished my work, why does it matter if I leave?
- How do you think you’ll advance in your career if you aren’t eager to spend time with your colleagues and bosses and don’t sacrifice some of your free time for your job?
- I am sorry! I will try to talk more with the others and be less concentrated on just my own work!
I tried but I never found anything to talk about and after a while, I resigned and went to work on my own.
- You are a bad daughter.
- But why? I care for my parents and try to help them whenever they need me!
- You have left your husband and you do not want children! You don’t even show affection for your nephews and nieces!
- I am so sorry! But I am not made for motherhood and my husband wanted a more social, outgoing wife and therefore I left, so he could find one! Why does that even matter when I love my parents and would do anything for them?
- How do you think anybody can love you and care for you in your old age if you refuse your natural role as a wife and a mother? How can your parents love you if you don’t give them grandchildren at all?
- I am sorry. I will try to be nicer to my nephews and niece, but I will not have children on my own.
I tried to connect to my nephews and niece in my own way, and saw they liked me for who I am.
III.
- You are a wonderful friend.
- But why? I do not behave differently with you than I did before!
- You are there when I need you and you do not request constant contact or attention.
- I am confused. How does this matter to you when before it never did to others?
- How could it matter to them, they are too busy having fun, distracting themselves, interested only in what they like. You listen to me, as I listen to you, and our time together brings joy to us both.
- I am so glad. I would never have thought that my friendship would matter!
- You are a brilliant colleague.
- But why? I am doing things that are new to me and probably am not very proficient at them!
- You are serious, hardworking, kind to colleagues and patients alike, without wasting time in stupid chatter.
- I am surprised. I have worked harder in previous jobs and still have been found lacking. How can it matter now, that I am kind and well behaved?
- You do not feel superior to others and your commitment and diligence means a lot in a situation where everything is fluid.
- I am contented. I will continue then, always trying to improve, but serene in the knowledge that what I am doing matters.
- You are the best wife and companion one could ever hope for.
- But why? I am not healthy, often grumpy, older than you and chaotic!
- You respect my boundaries, always search for ways to please me, enjoy small things and are never bored or boring!
- I am astonished because I did all that before and it was never enough. How can it matter now?
- Because we accept, and love, each other, unconditionally, and grow and develop together.
- I am so happy that, indeed, we do. And that is what really matters.
- You are a bad child.
- But why?
- You don’t play with your sister, don’t cuddle her, don’t enjoy being with her!
- I am sorry. But she is loud and grabs me and that scares me. Why does this matter?
- We cannot love you if you aren’t nice to your sister.
- I will try to be nicer, so you will love me!
I tried, but I was not good at it. I tried some more and learned to pretend.
- You are a bad girl.
- But why?
- You don’t allow your uncle to kiss you on your mouth and hug you!
- I am sorry. But he makes me feel uncomfortable. Why does this matter?
- You will never be a lovable woman if you behave so kratzbürstig (bristly) with men.
- I will try to do what he wishes, so I will become a lovable girl!
I tried, and he said I was improving, while I became numb.
- You are a bad pupil.
- But why? My grades are good, and I always know everything when asked!
- You never talk to other children and are restless during the lessons.
- I am sorry. But it makes me feel troubled to be with others in a room for so long. Why does this matter?
- How do you think anybody will like you if you disturb others when you can’t sit still and don’t chat to them when you are outside?
- I will try to behave, and to stay with the others, so they will like me!
I tried and sometimes I succeeded but they still didn’t like me, and then I became so overwhelmed that I shut down my mind.
II.
- You are a bad chum.
- But why? I always help you with your homework when you need it!
- You don’t want to hang out with the others, and you run away when we drink some beer and do funny games!
- I am sorry. But I hate how people become when they drink, and I never know how to behave during those games. Why does this matter?
- How do you think you’ll ever be really part of a group, if you don’t want to be cheerful and social?
- I will try to spend more time with your friends and behave like everybody else, so you will continue to like me!
I tried but always felt miserable and alcohol made me sick, so I did not try anymore and stayed on my own.
- You are a bad girlfriend.
- But why? I let you touch me and kiss me and do everything you want!
- You always want to be alone with me and never go out with others! You don’t want to watch funny shows, go on weekend trips, and get drunk together!
- I am sorry. But I like to be just with you, when we are with others, I never know what to say. And I am afraid of you when you are drunk! Why does this matter?
- How do you think I could ever marry somebody who wants only to hang on to me and not have fun with others?
- I will try to behave like you want, so you will continue to like me!
I tried, but just could not stand the stupidity of drunk people, so I left him.
- You are a bad employee.
- But why? I am always fast and do what I am asked to!
- You are too reserved, and you are not able to work in a team. You never eat lunch with the others and never stay longer than for your paid hours.
- I am sorry! But if I have finished my work, why does it matter if I leave?
- How do you think you’ll advance in your career if you aren’t eager to spend time with your colleagues and bosses and don’t sacrifice some of your free time for your job?
- I am sorry! I will try to talk more with the others and be less concentrated on just my own work!
I tried but I never found anything to talk about and after a while, I resigned and went to work on my own.
- You are a bad daughter.
- But why? I care for my parents and try to help them whenever they need me!
- You have left your husband and you do not want children! You don’t even show affection for your nephews and nieces!
- I am so sorry! But I am not made for motherhood and my husband wanted a more social, outgoing wife and therefore I left, so he could find one! Why does that even matter when I love my parents and would do anything for them?
- How do you think anybody can love you and care for you in your old age if you refuse your natural role as a wife and a mother? How can your parents love you if you don’t give them grandchildren at all?
- I am sorry. I will try to be nicer to my nephews and niece, but I will not have children on my own.
I tried to connect to my nephews and niece in my own way, and saw they liked me for who I am.
III.
- You are a wonderful friend.
- But why? I do not behave differently with you than I did before!
- You are there when I need you and you do not request constant contact or attention.
- I am confused. How does this matter to you when before it never did to others?
- How could it matter to them, they are too busy having fun, distracting themselves, interested only in what they like. You listen to me, as I listen to you, and our time together brings joy to us both.
- I am so glad. I would never have thought that my friendship would matter!
- You are a brilliant colleague.
- But why? I am doing things that are new to me and probably am not very proficient at them!
- You are serious, hardworking, kind to colleagues and patients alike, without wasting time in stupid chatter.
- I am surprised. I have worked harder in previous jobs and still have been found lacking. How can it matter now, that I am kind and well behaved?
- You do not feel superior to others and your commitment and diligence means a lot in a situation where everything is fluid.
- I am contented. I will continue then, always trying to improve, but serene in the knowledge that what I am doing matters.
- You are the best wife and companion one could ever hope for.
- But why? I am not healthy, often grumpy, older than you and chaotic!
- You respect my boundaries, always search for ways to please me, enjoy small things and are never bored or boring!
- I am astonished because I did all that before and it was never enough. How can it matter now?
- Because we accept, and love, each other, unconditionally, and grow and develop together.
- I am so happy that, indeed, we do. And that is what really matters.