TOLERATING FOOLS

Hi, this is Connie writing on the blog this week, and I’m here to tell you that I don’t suffer fools lightly and I’m just about fed up messing with them.  I know that I’m not perfect, but my goodness, there are some things that people do that are just plain stupid.  If I was to come up with a list of them it would be much too long, so I’ll name a few of my pet peeves to save time and space.  Mind you they’re not in any special order; I hate all of the stupidity equally.

 First on the list are the people who did not vote in the November 2010 election, and who are now complaining about the situation in the United States Congress and the Tea Party insanity.  When one of these fools steps to me to discuss either of these issues, I ask one question.  Did you vote in the mid-term election?  If the answer is no, the conversation is over. I walk away.  If they don’t like it, I really don’t care. As far as I’m concerned if you don’t vote you don’t have a voice, so don’t complain to me. I figure that when the mess hits the fan the nonvoters get what they deserve.  Is that taking a hard line?  Yes, it is.  Next!

 People who talk down to their elders need to be put in their place. When my mother was alive I can’t tell you how many times people talked around her.  They would be referring to her, but talking to me as if she wasn’t right in front of them. This was especially pervasive among medical personnel.  I could understand if she had been senile or suffered from Alzheimer disease, but although she was older, she was as sharp as a tack. Yet the expectation seemed to be that because of her age she was some sort of dimwit who couldn’t take care of her own business.   When you live in a country that has a population that is as frightened of aging as the people in these United States, you get that kind of thinking.  Respecting each person as being unique is not in the picture, and sometimes that lesson has to be taught the hard way.

When my mother was in her eighties, I drove her to the doctor for her appointment.  He was a man in his late thirties or early forties who she had been going to for about two years.  I had never gone into his office with her because she usually drove herself there, but this time I accompanied her and she asked me to go into his office with her. I guess that was his cue that Momma’s mind had deteriorated, so he asked me: “How is she today?  What can I do for her?” 

 I was so taken aback by his asking me that I was rendered speechless, but my mother knew exactly what to say.  She took that man’s chin between her fingers, just like you do with a child, so that she had his full attention.  She looked him straight in the eyes and told him calmly,   “Doctor, I don’t know what your problem is, but you have been talking down to me since I started coming to you.  I brought my daughter in here so that she could witness how you treat me, but I want you to know that until you correct your attitude, you can kiss my ass!”  With that we left his office never to return again.  Folks need to understand that every person who has aged does not have diminished capacity, and believe me the spirit can be fully intact.    

 The third fools that I can’t tolerate are those who text while driving. What in the hell?  Has all sanity left the planet?  Why would anybody write a note while they are driving two to three tons of steel?  Half of the people on the street can’t drive anyway, and now the rest of the bad drivers are texting and talking on their cell phones!  Will the insanity never stop?  When I see these idiots it makes me want to attach one of those scoops that they have on the front of bulldozers onto my car and start cleaning house. Every time I spot a texting while driving violation I’d scoop the car up, driver and passengers and toss them in the nearest ditch.  Good riddance.

 Oh, and there are some other fools who I need to address.   Those are the ones who call women who date younger men cougars.  As if we’re some animals.  Yes, I date a younger man and I don’t appreciate the depiction.  It sounds as though we’re going to spring on some unsuspecting younger man and gobble him up.  Give me a break!  It’s time to take into account the unlimited number of men who date and marry girls young enough to be their daughters.  As a matter of fact I’ve read that actor, Michael Douglas, is older than his wife, Catherine Zeta Jones’ parents. I’m sure that can be said for a whole lot of men in that situation.  So since I’m classified as a cougar, I’ll take it upon myself to classify the men who are with younger women.  I think that I’ll call them old dogs.

Anyway, the list of fools that I can’t tolerate is so long I guess I’d better stop here.  I’ve probably offended a lot of people by speaking my mind, but that’s life.  Just place me in the category of fools who don’t know when to shut up.

Until next time, muse on that.