Restraint, and Not the Fun Kind (or: "Where There's a Will, there's No Way")
A lot of people think I have no powers of self-restraint. (I call those people "People who Know Me Pretty Well".) But it must be said that, where the rubber meets the road, I'm perfectly capable of holding my tongue and staying my hand, if the consequences outweigh any gains to be maade from letting myself go.
For example, because you knew one was coming:
Now, everybody who has any kind of romantic history at all- unless you're like me, and lucky enough to have the 'trophy fish' jump right into the boat TWICE- has a few exes, but only one worthy of being called The Ex. The one who is egregiously thoughtless, hurtful, stingy.
Mean. Nasty. Abusive.
Well, Steph had a The Ex, too. She called hers The Asshole, for a number of reasons into which I won't now go- suffice to say, the dude was just about as horrible to her (and her kids, which later became MY kids) as possible without taking a life. As you no doubt realize, I developed a sudden, intense dislike of the man, which only deepened into a full-blown hatred the more I heard about his actions. Meeting him in person and hearing him talk only sharpened the blade, so to speak- he could be talking offhandedly about the weather, and still come off oily, nasty and vile.
Now to tie that tangent in with my orignal point. I was at the grocery store this morning, picking up some lunch and dinner-ingredients, when who should happen to come shambling along the other way (leaving a greasy trail) than The Asshole! I was desperately hoping to avoid talking to him (I wanted my ears to remain feeling un-raped), but he caught my eye and tried to chat. The exchange went as follows:
T.A.: Hi, Phil! (oily smile)
M.J.: Hullo. (stony glare)
T.A: How's it goin'?
M.J.: (frosty silence as that WEEEEEE-oooo, WEEEEEE-oooo bit from Kill Bill goes off in my head)
See? I didn't engage him in a conversation that I knew would make me angrier, I didn't publically denounce him for... what he is, I didn't knock his brains out with a soda can, I didn't do nuffin'! See, I do so have self-restraint!
Now pat me on the head and call me a good boy, goddammit!
For example, because you knew one was coming:
Now, everybody who has any kind of romantic history at all- unless you're like me, and lucky enough to have the 'trophy fish' jump right into the boat TWICE- has a few exes, but only one worthy of being called The Ex. The one who is egregiously thoughtless, hurtful, stingy.
Mean. Nasty. Abusive.
Well, Steph had a The Ex, too. She called hers The Asshole, for a number of reasons into which I won't now go- suffice to say, the dude was just about as horrible to her (and her kids, which later became MY kids) as possible without taking a life. As you no doubt realize, I developed a sudden, intense dislike of the man, which only deepened into a full-blown hatred the more I heard about his actions. Meeting him in person and hearing him talk only sharpened the blade, so to speak- he could be talking offhandedly about the weather, and still come off oily, nasty and vile.
Now to tie that tangent in with my orignal point. I was at the grocery store this morning, picking up some lunch and dinner-ingredients, when who should happen to come shambling along the other way (leaving a greasy trail) than The Asshole! I was desperately hoping to avoid talking to him (I wanted my ears to remain feeling un-raped), but he caught my eye and tried to chat. The exchange went as follows:
T.A.: Hi, Phil! (oily smile)
M.J.: Hullo. (stony glare)
T.A: How's it goin'?
M.J.: (frosty silence as that WEEEEEE-oooo, WEEEEEE-oooo bit from Kill Bill goes off in my head)
See? I didn't engage him in a conversation that I knew would make me angrier, I didn't publically denounce him for... what he is, I didn't knock his brains out with a soda can, I didn't do nuffin'! See, I do so have self-restraint!
Now pat me on the head and call me a good boy, goddammit!