Benedict Cumberbatch

Can someone please answer this question?

What is the big deal about Benedict Cumberbatch?

So many of my friends love him and it seems just about everyone does. Is it his looks? His acting?

I don't get it. Please explain....

Designer Babies

I really do not understand how some parents (read: mothers) can spend sooo much money on their babies.

Why does a baby need expensive designer brand clothes when they are going to grow out of it in two seconds?
Why does a bald baby girl need to wear a headband?
How on earth can a baby, only a few months old, be comfortable in skinny jeans, leather jackets....and shoes?

Image from here

Image from here

What is the point of a cake smash?  What a waste of a cake!

Image from here

How can some parents say they're struggling to pay the bills, yet fork out hundreds (or thousands) on a decorating a baby's room, or on a first birthday party?

I don't get it.  Please explain...

I Don't Know How You Do It

Why do some women take this remark as such an insult (when said in the context of balancing parenting with other responsibilities)?

I know I say it when I'm full of admiration about how they can handle things when I go to pieces facing much less.

I don't get it.  Please explain....

Decluttering

I'm currently in the process of some major decluttering.  I have SO MUCH JUNK! Everything must go! Yes, I'm in nesting overdrive.

My study is being transformed into Rory's new bedroom and the new baby will have Rory's current room. When they're older maybe they can share a room, but until then the contents of my study are either being thrown out, recycled, sold, given away, or relocated around the house.

Which brings me to the point of this post....I really don't understand hoarders!

What is the point of hanging onto things that you don't use or don't work, saying "I'll use it/fix it one day."?  Guess what? Chances are 'one day' will never come. Throw it out!

I hear so many people complaining that they need a bigger house for all of their stuff. Unless you're a family of seven in a two bedroom apartment, how about you just have an almighty decluttering session instead? 

I don't get it. Please explain....

Frenemies?

Why on earth do some people friend request people in Facebook who they despise in real life?

I know several people who can't stand to be in the same room as each other, yet they have become Facebook 'friends'.

So, so weird.

This is a mug I found in Red Dot a few months back.

I don't get it.  Please explain...

Alcohol and Anti-Depressants

It has been two and a half years since I had a drink of alcohol. First it was because I was pregnant, then breastfeeding, and then when I was diagnosed with postnatal depression and started on anti-depressants. Since I was never really into alcohol much, I don't miss it.

From medical advice and plain common sense, I have decided that I will not have a drink until I'm off anti-depressants. Which raises an issue I just don't get....

Why do people on anti-depressants continue to drink alcohol (and often by the bucketload)?

If you're depressed and taking something to help you not be depressed, then why undo all that good work by drinking a depressant?

I know some people might feel good by drinking, like they can drink all of their problems away.  But there are numerous warnings that while drinking might make you feel good in the short term, long term it can make the symptoms of depression and anxiety worse.

I don't ever want to return to that dark, dark place I was in last year. If not drinking ever again is what I need to do, then I am more than happy to do it.

Why take anti-depressants then nullify their effectiveness with booze?

I don't get it. Please explain...

Swimming Against the Christian Tide

I remember when I first became a Christian....I read 1 Peter 4:3-4 and it shocked me!  Here was clear evidence that the Bible was not an outdated book of fairytales; it was real life.  It so perfectly described the uni and student housing environment that I was in at the time.

Since reading those verses, I've learnt not to be surprised when non-Christians mock me for not drinking, or speeding, or sleeping around.  It's not that I'm better than them, but Christ has changed me.  There's no way anyone can encounter the living Christ and not be transformed.  I expect to feel like the alien, the odd-bod, the square, the goody two-shoes, the boring old Nanna while I'm living in a world that is not my home.

What I didn't expect was that I'd often feel the same way in the company of some Christians!

I've been ridiculed and pressured for wanting to drive at the speed limit, not drinking to excess, or drinking before I drive (I actually haven't had any alcohol since I became pregnant with Rory...and don't miss it), being honest on my tax return, trying to tell the truth at all times, trying not to swear...I could go on.

This has been heartbreaking.  I'm not perfect, no-one is.  That's not the point.  If we're truly followers of Christ, then we've been washed clean.  Why deliberately jump into sin when His death for us was so costly for Him?  Why be a discouragement to others who are wanting to live God's way?

The world is a shiny, tempting place at times with lots of people who will be amused and offended at Christians wanting to swim in a different direction.  I just didn't expect some Christians to oppose and scoff at their brothers and sisters wanting to swim upstream.

I don't get it.  Please explain...

Dishwashing Deros

When it comes to washing dishes by hand (no dishwasher here, folks....I AM the dishwasher), I do not understand some people's strange dishwashing habits.

Why do they:

• Wash the dish and then place it in the rack without rinsing it, leaving a mountain of froth on it?
• Not dry it and instead place it back in the cupboard dripping wet?

The first is why I politely refuse some people's offer of 'help' when it comes to washing dishes (or insist they dry and I'll wash).

The second...well, I had a housemate in student housing who did that.  The cupboard where she kept her dishes had puddles in it which would leak out through and down the cupboard doors.

Weird...just weird.

I don't get it.  Please explain....

The Good Old Flannel

One thing that has confused me in recent years is...

Whatever has happened to the good old flannel?

Just to clarify, I mean a flannel like this:

Not this:

Image is from http://edwardmillar.wordpress.com



The second species of flannel should definitely die out haha.

When it comes to showering, nothing beats the good old flannel.  Loofahs have their place, but they cannot compare.  I always chuckle when we stay with good friends and they give me a towel AND a flannel.  Haha they know me too well!

But it seems that flannels are fast becoming an extinct species.  Sometimes when we stay with people and I ask if I can borrow a flannel, they give me blank looks or simply don't own any.  I was horrified when we went to Melbourne and the hotel had no flannels.  I had to go out and buy one.  A hotel with no flannels?  Outrageous.

Yep, what is happening to the good old flannel?

I don't get it.  Please explain

Bored?

I really don't understand people who constantly complain about being bored.

How can anyone be bored when there is so much to do?  How can any Christian complain about being bored when there is an abundance of good works out there to do?

Our culture is so focused on entertainment that we have forgotten how to entertain ourselves.  Why can't people just learn to make their own fun?  Why do they constantly need other people to organise things for them?  It really annoys me how people complain there are not enough fun activities on, then when someone organises something, they don't come!  If we stopped focusing on ourselves, there would be no time to be bored.

I'm a big fan of what I call 'redeeming the time'.  I know some people's situations are certainly less than ideal (unemployment, sickness etc).  It's tempting to just wish they were over.  But guess what?  We are just going to complain about the next situation we find ourselves in.  If we complain about unemployment, we're just going to complain about having to go to work when we do get a job.  It's human nature.  So, let's redeem the time.  Right now, I have the flu.  Having all-day pregnancy sickness and the flu at once is not fun.  I haven't been able to work all this week, and I have two events I'm supposed to be organising for a fortnight's time.  I can't do much around the house (I'm very glad I don't have kids to look after).  But I need to ask myself how I can make the best use of my time?  Rather than complain about being bored, what opportunities do I have to do things that I wouldn't normally get to do...like read the Bible more, watch movies, get stuck into that bookcase of books I haven't read yet.  Although I need to spend a lot of time resting, I can use this time for good.  If I'm using it for good, then I can never be bored.

So, text or email a friend, create something, finish a project you never got a chance to do.  If you're well and complaining there's nothing to do on the weekends, how about you be the one to take some initiative and organise something?  Join a community group.  Do random acts of kindness.  Stop expecting everyone to drop everything and entertain you.

I often get asked if I get bored on the farm.  My answer: not at all.  I've always been the type of person who can exist quite happily with my own company if I need to.  Sure, some personalities find this easier than others, but it's a skill everyone should learn.

Still bored?

I don't get it.  Please explain...

Random Gumtree Behaviour

I've been using Gumtree a fair bit lately.  I've known about it and what it does for quite a few years, but I've never really needed it.  Mostly I've used ebay or the online Quokka for buying and selling, but I've been impressed with friends' testimonies about how quickly they've got rid of stuff, found bargains, or acquired new housemates via Gumtree.

A couple of weeks ago I was on the hunt for a secondhand TV cabinet.  Since I had an appointment in Perth, I thought it would be the perfect time to buy one.  After being slightly overwhelmed by just how many people were selling TV cabinets in Perth, I narrowed the options down to a short list of cabinets that were NOT in far-flung suburbs. Then I started emailing and texting to find out the dimensions, and if they were still available.

What really surprised me was that out of all the people I contacted, only two got back to me.  A few text messages later, I agreed to meet up with a lady who lives in City Beach.  So I was surprised and a little annoyed that after being in morning traffic for 45 minutes, I knocked on the lady's door only to be told by her teenage daughter that she wasn't home, and that her mum hadn't told her I was coming.  Finally the lady showed up, huffing and puffing, saying she was so sorry, but she'd just been for a walk.  She was a very nice lady with a very nice TV cabinet so I agreed to take it, paid her, she helped me lift it into the back of the 4WD, and I was off.  Now I may have a few screws loose or something, but after arranging to meet someone at a certain time, why would you then decide to go for a walk?

Fast forward a week and I'm back in Perth...this time for a friend's baby shower.  I'd been trawling Gumtree for tub chairs and this time I rang the bloke who had one listed that I liked.  Finally he got back to me, but by then it was too late and I had to go home...minus my chair.

Ok, I know people selling things are not available 24/7 to take queries and it can be quite creepy inviting strangers over to your house to see your goods.  I tried to be considerate with other people's schedules even though I was only going to be in Perth for a limited time.  But if you're selling something, then why wouldn't you get back to potential buyers?  Why are they listing things online if they aren't going to respond to messages?  Surely you have to make yourself a bit more available and contactable if you want to make a sale.  They can't be that serious about selling their stuff then. 

Why invite someone over and then go out for a walk?  That's just weird!

I don't get it.  Please explain...

Why? Why? Why?

Why does the phone ring (after being silent all day) when....

• I'm on the toilet
• I'm in the shower
• I've just got out of the shower (so I'm standing around wrapped in a towel and freezing)
• I'm outside hanging washing
• I'm outside feeding the chooks or the dogs
• I've got food in my mouth

When I'm having a great day, why does someone always have to say or do something to ruin it?

Why does it always start raining when I want to leave the office to get a takeaway coffee?

Why do I bump into someone I know at the shops when:

• I'm in a filthy mood and don't feel like talking to anyone
• I'm in too much of a rush to talk
• I'm wearing old trackies or the like
• I'm buying a present for that person
• I'm buying something 'personal'

I don't get it.  Please explain.....

I'm Offended....No Offence

I'm a sensitive person.  There, I've admitted it.



But I've come to realise in recent years (along the journey of being a blogger and a Facebooker), that it is ridiculous to take some things personally.  There is a world of difference between a personal insult which you're 100% sure was directed at you, and someone voicing their opinion on a topic online or in a group situation.  I've discovered that I can waste a lot of time being angry about things that were never directed at me in the first place.  To be honest, I'm not sure why I've felt offended at someone merely having a different opinion to myself, or randomly blogging about something that I happened to be going through at that exact moment.


So why do people do it when they know it's not about them?

• A guilty conscience?  Someone writes or speaks about something that they know deep down they shouldn't be doing.  They know it's a general statement, but they still lash out, using phrases such as, "You shouldn't judge.  You're guilty of..."
• They're already in a bad mood before they read or hear what's been said?  Maybe some people log into Facebook to take out their daily frustrations on their fellow users.  Honestly the reactions I've read to some statuses (including my own) has been mind-boggling.  I felt like saying, "Dude, I don't know what you're talking about and why you're so angry, but it's got NOTHING to do with that person's status." 

I'll use a few real life examples.

A few months back I read the post File Under: Confessions by Daja from In Other Words.  She was recalling an incident on Facebook where she wrote something along the lines of, I just love homeschooling, on her status only to incur the wrath of public teacher acquaintances.  It's not like she was criticising public schools by declaring that she loves homeschooling.  Being for something doesn't necessarily mean you're against something else.  Here is part of the response I wrote to Daja:


I have some Facebook friends who have very strong opinions on all sorts of things from child-rearing to politics.  They often put their opinions on their status not very eloquently, but I don't take offence because (a) it's not a personal attack...it's not like they're writing 'Sarah is an idiot', and (b) Facebook is their place to air their opinions and I know they don't intend to hurt anyone...it's just what they believe.


I've since realised that some people actually WANT and CHOOSE to be offended so they have an excuse to have a go at you.  Others are already in a bad mood about something else when they log in and are just itching for a fight (sometimes they don't REALLY disagree, they just want an argument or to make you look silly).


What do you think?  Am I right?  Is being offended sometimes a choice?


I really am a bit confused and alarmed at where society is heading with the whole being offended thing.  We should definitely watch our words and Take 5 before we speak to others.  But I think there is a world of difference between personal conversations and expressing your point of view on Facebook or a blog.  I would hate to think that everyone will soon become too scared to say or write anything for fear of backlash.  I thought we were a country that valued freedom of speech?  Sure, you may think someone is a knob because of what they say online, but at least online you have the right not to listen.  That's the great thing about blogs and Facebook - you can tune out if you want to.  This is especially true for blogs where generally the blogger has little clue exactly who is reading, so how can you take a post on the evils of jaywalking personally?  If what they write offends you so much, why do you keep reading?  On Facebook, it is a little more personal because once you set your profile to private, you know exactly who your audience is.  But still, like I said to Daja, I know people with very strong opinions (like I do on some things) and they should be able to have a platform to say what they want, just as I would like to.  If I find myself getting annoyed at something someone has written, I've got to tell myself to calm down and ask why this has stirred me up when it's more than likely I didn't even enter their thoughts when they wrote that status or post.  If they wrote something mean and tagged me in their status, fair enough.  There is a page on Facebook called No My Status Wasn't Aimed At You - But If The Shoe Fits Feel Free To Wear It.


I would hate to think that we need to put disclaimers on all of our posts just in case someone somewhere may be offended.  Bek from Longfur made a good point in the disclaimer she put on her post Give it a Rest.  She wrote There is no one individual in particular that this is aimed at.  If there are any similarities to stories, that is purely coincidental.  However, if you identify yourself in one of the comments/stories...maybe it's something to think about?


Yes, why do people identify themselves in posts that have nothing to do with them?  And why do the ones that some posts have really been aimed at think you don't mean them?

While we are on the topic of offence, can someone please explain this to me?

Why do people say something that is UNMISTAKABLY rude and then hastily add, "No offence," after it?

Ok so misunderstandings happen where no offence was intended but the comment was taken as offensive.  But how can someone possibly mean 'no offence' by saying, "You're fat....no offence."?

The Urban Dictionary puts the definition of 'no offence' very bluntly:

An excuse to insult someone.  Anyone who uses this word is a tool.

I don't get it.  Please explain...

What's So Amazing About Cooking Shows?

 






Why is everyone currently OBSESSED with Masterchef, My Kitchen Rules and all that jazz?

I have one word to say about such shows:

BORING!

What is so interesting about watching people cook?  Why are so many Australians hooked on reality TV? We know by now that it's not 'reality', but highly crafted.

Maybe it's because I couldn't eat half of the stuff they cook on these shows anyway.  But even in my pre-arthritis and pre-low starch diet days, I never understood why some people are so tantalised by gloop, garnished with gloop, with more gloop on the side.

I'm proud to say I've never watched an episode of any cooking show.  The most I've ever seen is a few seconds while I change channels, but when I've been asked if I've been watching Masterchef and reply 'no', the horrified looks I get are quite hilarious.  It seems it is THE show to watch for Christians and I must be committing blasphemy by not tuning in.

If you want a reality cooking show, then come to my kitchen.  'Cooking with Sarah on the Farm' doesn't quite have the same ring to it, but you'd get to see me in all my cooking glory with no editing.  Here's what you could expect:

• An improvised recipe due to me forgetting some of the ingredients, and now the shops are shut and just too far away anyway.
• Shooing Ebony out of the kitchen.
• Cooking by candlelight because the power's gone out (thank God for gas stoves and ovens).
• The smoke alarm going off (fortunately this is a rare occurrence and usually only happens when I get distracted).
• Me deciding to scrap the planned meal and do something easier instead.

Yes, my friends, THAT is reality.

I suspect the answer to this post may well be, "Each to their own."  Other people probably don't understand why I like what I do either.

I don't get it.  Please explain....

The Silent Generation

A few days before the royal wedding, Duncan and I watched The Queen which was being showed on TV.  It was the first time either of us had seen this movie.

The film is based on the week after the death of Princess Diana and focuses on the royal family's reaction.  At the time, the Queen and Prince Philip particularly, received a lot of flak about their lack of emotion and initial refusal to appear in public.  The film goes behind the scenes, showing Tony Blair (British Prime Minister at the time) pleading with the Queen to speak with her griveing people.  He kept saying, "The people need you at this time."  The Queen didn't quite know what to make of that.  She didn't know how a public display of emotion on her behalf was supposed to help the British people.

How much of the film is based on reality is really anyone's guess (Prince Philip is portrayed as an insensitive twat), but it reinforced to me that I really don't understand the 'Silent Generation'.

The Silent Generation is the generation born roughly between 1925-1942 - those who are in their 60s, 70s and even 80s today.  They survived the Great Depression and World War II in their youth.  Queen Elizabeth II was born in 1926 and is therefore a part of that generation.  I would even include my late Nan in that generation because, even though she was born in 1913, she displays many of the same traits.

Why I don't 'get' about the Silent Generation:

• Why is it bad to show emotion?  Why were they encouraged (and why do they encourage their children) to remain stoic in the face of grief?  Fair enough, you don't need to cry in front of everyone, but bottling it surely doesn't help either.  If you want to deal with your grief this way, fine, but don't tell others they are wrong for grieving openly.
• Why do so many of that generation hoard junk they don't need?  Broken appliances, dusty old books, bills from years ago.  Ok, I get that they lived through the Depression and don't like to be wasteful. I don't like to be wasteful either.  If it really has sentimental value, that's different, but I think many of them can't be bothered chucking stuff out.  And I don't get the point of keeping something saying, "I'll fix it one day," when 'one day' never comes.  Then the junk (and dust) keeps building up.
• Why do the Silent Generation talk about the 1940s and 50s like they were some kind of idyllic time in history and as if sin only entered the world in the 1960s? (ummm I'm pretty sure sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden).
• Why do those who are Christians have to be so black and white about everything, and often harsh to those younger Christians who are struggling in their faith?  If I talk to someone around my age about a faith-related struggle, they will often share Scripture AND their own story with me.  The Silent Generation tends to respond with, "Well, you just need to trust God more (and that's that)."  I'm not saying our own testimonies are more important than Jesus, but sharing your own struggles can really help another person know they aren't alone.  This is why I don't go to the Silent Generation with faith issues.

I know not everyone fits neatly into all the generation categories.  I don't understand my own generation, Generation Y much at all!

When I asked Duncan about the Silent Generation, he replied with, "I don't know.  That's just the way they are."  That's a helpful answer...not! Haha.

I don't get it.  Please explain...

Image is from http://thecia.com.au/

Awesomely Awesome

What is with the overuse of the word ‘awesome’ today?

Everywhere I go, someone describes something as ‘awesome’. A cake is awesome, holidays are awesome, a TV show is awesome. I have even been told that I’m awesome. Really? That’s very flattering, but if I’m honest, then I really can’t say that’s true.

The Macquarie Dictionary (1991) defines awe as:
1. Respectful or reverential fear, inspired by what is grand or sublime.
2. Power to inspire fear or reverence.
3. Fear or dread.
(page 117)

In light of that definition, can a cake really be awesome? You fear a cake? Do you bow down before it in reverence? Really?

A cake is not awesome, it is tasty.

If the dictionary definition is correct, then there are very few things that can truly be awesome. Personally, I don’t want to use the word awesome to describe anything but God. It’s not about being legalistic or nitpicky. For me, it’s about acknowledging that our mighty God is the one who is truly awesome.

So why do people overuse the word ‘awesome’?

I don’t get it. Please explain….

Fakebook

I think it's fair to say that a lot of people have been hurt by Facebook, myself included.  One of Duncan's cousins deactivated her account after finding out about the birth of her niece through some random on Facebook she didn't even know!  Other people have been hurt by the way they have been 'ignored' in cyberspace, the way people use Facebook all the time but STILL don't keep in touch, or the fact that others seem content to waste time playing games yet say they are too busy for people.

I won't deny that the way people use Facebook has irritated me greatly, yet I'm still alive and kicking on the social media beast because if I didn't, hardly anyone would keep in touch!  That's just the way it is sadly.  Social media eases the burden of isolation somewhat.

Having said that, I still don't 'get' how people use Facebook.  The following has both annoyed and puzzled me.  Anyone care to explain?

• People who by their own words are 'private people' setting up Facebook accounts, and then complaining about how everyone is sharing stuff online.  Well, duh!  That's what it says on the screen when you get to the Facebook homepage - Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life.  Why are people complaining about this when that is the nature of the beast?  If you don't like it, go elsewhere!  Although I've noticed that there are plenty of people on Facebook who hold their own cards very close to their chests, but are happy to lurk on other people's pages.
• People who accuse their Facebook friends of 'stalking' them for merely going to their page and having a look at their photos etc.  And, yes, some people are not joking when they accuse others of stalking.  Hello, why did you add/accept that person if you don't want them to see your page?
• People whose friends' lists fluctuate like yo-yos (yes, I notice these minute details).  I've noticed some people adding others, deleting them, then re-adding them.  Why delete them in the first place then?  It's not like you get charged for having more friends.
• People who put up a random photo of themselves such as a plant, their child, or their pet.  This makes it impossible to figure out whether they are the Bob Smith I knew from school, or one of the many others with that name.  If they don't want to be found, why sign up?
• People who set up blocks so they cannot be found when someone searches for them.  I'd understand if they had a real life stalker on their hands, but why make it impossible for long-lost friends to find them?
• People who sign up for Facebook to keep in touch with only one or two people, then get annoyed when they get added as a friend by lots of others.  Ummm, ever heard of Skype?
• People who add/accept you as a friend, but then alter the settings so you can only see some of their information or photos.  It should be the whole hog or nothing.  Why add/accept someone if you don't want them to see your stuff?  If you think they're dodgy, don't add/accept them in the first place.
• People who come up to you and tell you they have seen your Facebook page (well, mine is set to private, but they know I have a page), but still won't add you as a friend.  Why are you telling me you've seen my page unless you're going to add me?  Is it a hint for me to add them?  (Yes, I really have had a few people approach me in that way).
• People who write cryptic status updates, and then when people ask them to elaborate, they (almost irritably) say, "I can't say, it's a secret blah blah blah."  Well, if it's something private, don't put it on there if you're not prepared to share the rest of the story.  You can't blame people for asking about something you wrote publicly.  Why do they do this?  Attention-seeking perhaps?
• People who set up a joint Facebook account for themselves and their spouse/partner when it's clear that they will be the only one using the account, their other half has no interest in Facebook, and will not be contactable there.
• People who are quite content to chuck their major news on their status update when it takes two seconds to send a bulk email or text message to announce the news to good friends BEFORE telling the general public.  Have they just gotten lazy?  Putting it on a status leaves it open to less important people finding out before the more important ones.

What has astounded you about how people use Facebook?  What quirks have you come across?

I don't get it.  Please explain...

The Uncontactables

I do not understand why people set up for themselves:

• A landline
• A mobile phone
• An email address
• Facebook/Twitter/some other sort of social media

....if they don't want people to contact them!

I have made it clear before that I get very peeved indeed when I go to the trouble of making contact with someone, and try to keep relationships alive only to be ignored. I know a few people who have a phone, but never answer it. It's not because it's a bad time for them either, they said they just don't believe in answering the phone! Others get annoyed when people try to make contact with them in any form.

The way I see it is this: if you are setting up avenues of contact for yourself and giving those details to others, then you can expect to be contacted! If you want to be a hermit, fine, just don't sign up for these things. Why sign up for them if you're never going to use them? And I don't mean you should be enslaved to them either; I’m not suggesting you need to check Facebook fifty times a day! But if you don’t like them, and never use them, what’s the point?

If you don’t like these things, cancel them! Deactivate your Facebook account, cancel your mobile phone plan, shut down your email address. Having these things gives the illusion that you are contactable there, and I don’t want to be wasting my time.

I don’t get it. Please explain…

Kiss the Cheek, Stab the Back

I am a woman (surprise, surprise).

I am a woman...but I really don't understand women.

Sometimes I think there is a lot of merit in how men deal with disagreements.  Get in the boxing ring, have a punch-up, and then go and have a beer together afterwards.  Ok, so it's not a great way to resolve things, but at least it's straight-up and honest.

I can't stand the bitching, the gossiping, the backstabbing, the exclusion and the falsehood when it comes to women.  If you don't like me, say it to my face, then I can move on, but don't kiss my cheek and twist a knife into my back at the same time.  It reminds me of Judas Iscariot.

I've been introduced to some women and straight away I've got the vibe that they don't like me.  I felt like yelling at them, "How can you hate me when you've only just met me?!?"  Other times, I feel like I'm trapped into a competition with other women that I never wanted to get involved in.  A competition to see who will get a boyfriend first, get married first, have kids first, who has the best behaved kids, get the best marks, have the best job, buy a house first, have the best grasp of theology.  Ok, so I'm not in some of those stages of life yet, but I feel like I'm already losing in a lot of areas.

I think this post is stemming from how I felt at my school reunion.  No matter how successful, smart or beautiful I become, I will never be good enough for some people.  Some people have tried to tell me in the past that it's because some women are jealous and feel threatened.  I honestly can't tell with some women.

What I really don't get is how I despise those attributes in other women, yet I am just as guilty when it comes to having a competitive streak.  I feel ashamed with how I've treated other girls in the past, particularly when I was a kid.  I have to keep asking myself, "WHY am I feeling like I'm trying to compete with women who are my FRIENDS?"  We are in completely different stages of life and have completely different circumstances.  It's not a race.  You simply can't compare some people, yet I always feel like I have to be the best.  Why?  I guess everyone's going to say the answer is 'sin'.

Ladies, why can't we all (myself included) look at another woman and instead of seeing a potential rival, see a potential friend?

I don't get it.  Please explain.

How Can They Not Know This Stuff?

Ok, I know I've blogged about Featherbrained people before, but I really don't get this...

How can people not know:

• Their address.
• Their mobile number.
• Their birthday.
• Their kids' ages.

I'm not talking about people who have just moved house, changed numbers etc either.  Honestly, how can people not know this stuff?  Don't they ever have to fill out forms?

Another thing I don't get is how people can spell other people's names wrong when the person's name is written RIGHT THERE.  Fair enough if someone said their name over the phone and the other person wrote it down incorrectly, but I see people spelling their friend's names wrong on Facebook when their friend's name is written right there on their profile.  And you can tell it wasn't just a random typo either since they consistently spell it wrong!

I've sent emails to people with my name on the bottom, and received replies saying 'Thanks Sara'....and they keep spelling it 'Sara' or 'Sera'  or some other random spelling.  It's written right there on the email, for goodness sake....S-A-R-A-H.

I don't get it.  Please explain....