What’s Up with Some People

What’s up with some people. Why are they so rude and unapologetic about it? We all know the types, we all have experienced an encounter of a rude person. How do you handle the situation? Do you say something, ignore it, or accept the rudeness and stew about it later? When you have to deal with someone on an ongoing basis and they are consistently rude, eventually you are going to lose your cool. Recently, this has happened to me.

I wanted to be involved more with my kid’s activities, so I decided to join a booster club this year. I have always avoided them throughout the years because of the horror stories you hear about the people who make up these clubs. The members don’t get along, there is always internal bickering, power struggles, and the drama…oh the drama of it all – it’s just something that never sounded appealing to me. Well, I have now experienced it first hand and have to say that my initial instincts were right – volunteering for a club that is for people’s kids is a big ball of…s…stress (ha, you all thought I was going to say something else, didn’t you). There is always that one person, that one person who creates the negative atmosphere and then continues to wreak havoc and destroy the spirit and foundation of what the club is to be about.

That person or persons are usually the ones that will preach the most about, “Well, it’s all for the kids”. Kids my ass, these types of people are doing this for themselves and are seeking something out of the situation they lack in their miserable lives that goes well beyond helping an organization out for the sake of “kids”. It seems to be some fantasy power kick they trip on. What power? What did they miss, no one works for one another, and everyone there is volunteering their time together and should be working as a team. Are they bucking for a raise or a promotion? They can have it, give them a raise from zero dollars to oh let’s say more zero dollars. Give them a better title that would impress their grandmother.

While these types are power tripping, why do they have to make everyone else pissed off? My situation has to do with one particular person. I have always heard how poorly she treats people through the years but never experienced it first hand, until now. When I came on board to fill the hole that was left from this person’s departure from the previous season, I was naïve in thinking, no problem, this will be fun, I can do this and fulfill the duties of what was left hanging. It won’t be bad and the people who made up the rest of the group all seemed nice.

Well, I was wrong. The person came back to the club and hated the fact that I was there doing what she used to do – and doing it better might I add. I designed a brand new and awesome website (if I say so myself) and blew the old one away that was in use for years. The old website needed a serious facelift. Everyone loves and raves about it – except Little Miss Sunshine, this is where I think her malice towards me started. I started getting some very rude emails criticizing the way I was communicating information in my emails to parents and how it was displayed on the website. I would ignore her, because I knew it was petty jealousy. When attending meetings, this person would never make eye contact or talk to me, would talk to everyone else including my husband (who by the way refers to this person as ‘psycho b#$%@’, but she thinks he likes her and we get a kick out of watching her think he does). Over time, her continued rudeness was starting to really frustrate and stress me out. I just wanted to go off on her, but never did. The last straw was the most recent email this person sent me. It was so over the top and rude that I decided not to put up with her anymore. Couldn’t ignore it any longer. I wrote back and cc’d several people to show everyone her rudeness and that enough is enough. I told her that she was rude and I wouldn’t be helping out with what she was bitching about anymore. They people I cc’d on the email, either called me or replied back saying that they also thought she was extremely rude and her email was uncalled for. I didn’t say all the things I wanted to say and I’m glad I didn’t. I am done with trying to interact with her and now I feel better.

I know you’re thinking, oh brother is that all you did. Well, I thought of more outlandish reactions, but the alternatives would have landed me on the 6:00 news – something I try to avoid. I could go on and on about all the rudeness I experienced from her, but she’s not worth the ink. It became very obvious that this is an unhappy person who takes her issues out on others.

Proceed with caution!

I’ll tell ya, volunteering for a kids program is a lot of crap, drama, and reward all mixed together. Proceed with caution and experience it for yourself. There are a lot of ways to show your kids your love and support other than joining a club and putting up with other people’s crap that only brings on more stress into your life. I think unhappy, rude people join these clubs to prove (or fool) to themselves and others that they really do love their kids more than other parents do – obviously, because look them, they are a member of a club and if that ain’t love, what is?

I would love to hear your experiences, good and bad, when encountering rude people or volunteering for anything that has to do with kids.

Shari – I Want It All