Character Confession: Rebel with a Cause

S-A-T-UR-DAY! This is where I think about what’s on my mind and share it here. Otherwise known as Character Confession.

I’m not mean but mean is on my mind.

Mean girls probably go back further than the example I have in mind, the girl Laura Ingalls Wilder talked about that on TV evolved into the character Nellie Oleson. I dealt with my share not just in school, but around where I lived, in college, and I suppose if I worked hard enough, I’d encounter my share even today.

The eight year old is encountering the same reality. They know her buttons and they enjoy pushing them. Apparently she’d had enough and decided like Popeye she couldn’t take it anymore. She did what she thought she had to do. It wasn’t a wise choice and ultimately got her in trouble.

But I’ve been there.

It doesn’t make her choice right, but I’ve been there.

Her incident reminded me of…me.

There was a mean girl in my daily life and she didn’t just push my buttons, she kept her finger down on that button for one continuous push. I remember the day I’d had enough. I knew I couldn’t do what Ralphie from A Christmas Story did the day he’d had enough—a fist-fueled, profanity-laced melt down but something had to give.

So this honor student decided to give her the what-for by spelling out what I thought of her. I had it all summed up in the form of a word that I wasn’t allowed to say, and wouldn’t say it now, either. I didn’t say it, but I spelled it out loud and clear.

Loud and clear enough for my mom to hear me.

I didn’t win any spelling tests that day.

I still felt pretty smug that I finally let off some steam, probably as the 8 yo was with her choice. It didn’t make either of us right, but since this is about Character Confession, it is what it is.

Did you ever have any mean girls or boys in your life? What did you do about it? Do you wish you would have handled it better?

By the way, the call for thankful posts is pretty much done. You are going to be blown away by the thankful bloggers who are taking over here in November. Stay tuned and definitely point others this way if you know anyone looking for an encouraging and inspiring word. Also, if you receive this by e-mail, come visit the actual site. I have a featured video with the 8 yo once upon a time. You won’t forget the video anytime soon…

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