Fun Monday - The Other Me

Sauntering Soul is hosting Fun Monday this week, and she wants to meet our inner jerk. Here's what she had to say: I know we all try to be sweet and kind to people the majority of the time. But let's face it....we also know that sometimes we can be a big jerk. It could be that you experience road rage from time to time. Perhaps you empty the coffee pot at work some mornings and don't feel like taking the time to start a new pot for the next person. Or maybe you don't return phone calls on a timely basis when you know someone needs a response from you. Have you ever "accidentally" ruined a favorite shirt of your spouse just because you didn't care for it? Come on - it's confession time! List the small things you do that make you a jerk and elaborate just a bit on each one. Please tell me I'm not the only jerk around here!

Well, I'm certainly not going to sit here and tell you I'm never a jerk. Because that would be a lie. I can certainly be one. In fact, a more accurate word for those times when I'm NOT being nice would be "bitch". I am the nicest person you'll ever meet, until you cross me. Then the bitch comes out. And when I'm a bitch? I'm a B-I-T-C-H!

But as I sat here trying to compose this post, there was only thing that came to mind of my "psycho" moments. And that's when I'm behind the wheel of my car. I road rage like nobody's business. I swear at people, I call them morons, idiots and other much more colorful names, I wish nasty things upon them. There are few things that bring out my inner bitch more quickly than a bad driver. And yet, I do all this usually behind my closed windows, where nobody else can hear me. I barely use my car horn, I rarely shout obsceneties out loud, and I never tailgate or drive recklessly out of anger. Not because I don't want to, but because people are crazy, and I'd rather play it safe and not have some psycho driver drive me off the road because I couldn't control my temper.

Besides my road rage, for the most part, I have pretty good control of my temper. I have the occasional moments at work (at The Firm I had a few of those I shared here on the blog, mosty on Whisper Wednesdays) where I'll slam my office door, or give someone attitude for pissing me off, but usually I can handle my anger internally and let it go.

Now and again, my inner bitch comes out to play in crowded places, grocery store aisles, and WalMart parking lots. That's when my "inside voice" comes out with quips that may actually be heard by others. Things such as "move you idiot" when the grocery cart is blocking the aisle, or "excuse you" when someone bumps into you on the street, or a very sarcastic, and usually pretty loud "THANKS" when someone drops a door on me. I'm kind of a believer in "killing them with kindness" too, so when I get a particularly grumpy cashier anywhere, I tend to give them the HAVE A GREAT DAY, with a side of attitude on my way out.

And honestly, I'm not always a nice person, but I really do try to be, so I can't think of any times lately when I've lost it on someone.

When I was younger? That was a whole other story. I had a TEMPER like you wouldn't believe. But that's changed a lot as I've gotten older.

Okay, that was a pretty lame Fun Monday from me, so go over to Sauntering Soul's for the list of participants, I'm sure they all have much better stories. I'm going to go hang out with my cousin PM and her baby Smiley before they leave for home in California this afternoon.