2:50 p.m. - 2005-10-06
unbelievably rude
Sorry it's taken so long for me to update. The last couple of days have been a little crazy.
I was working at the after-school program yesterday when this adorable little thing who I will call Jailan comes up to me and announces:
"I know something everyone likes!"
I smile and say "Oh really? What's that?"
And she says triumphantly:
"Bread!"
I think we could all do our part to try to find the commonalities instead of the differences.
Like Amanda's new friend Matt, for example. I have never met someone who was so hell-bent on being disagreeable. I do not have the wearwithall or the patience to accomodate such a person in my world which is generally brimming with excellent individuals.
He refused to admit to liking any music either of us likes. He refused to like anything involving any sort of "schedule." He was dismissive about Amanda's distaste for improper grammer. He treated me like an idiot for not knowing exactly where Kay-tar (Quatar maybe?) is. He insisted that the MAYONAISE he made at culinary school this week is unlike any other MAYONAISE and implied that I would like it, or should not just say I don't like it. Is everyone clear on my lifelong stance on mayonaise? Ok, good. Then there was the diatribe about how sucky John Mayer is. Which, ok, I'm not a huge fan. But I know Amanda really likes him, as do Brooke and Megan. I enjoy them in their John Mayer likingness. But Matt wouldn't. He would not allow a word in about how or why or what album. Nope.
Now, the straw that broke the camels back went a little something like this:
"I HATE U2....I'm sorry; I just can't stand them."
Ummm. What?
"Yeah, I just hate them."
Me: You mean, like you hate what they stand for or you hate their music?
"I don't want to get into it. I just hate them."
(it went on a little bit more and included me desperately asking him if he was a republican...just trying to understand what the hell he was trying to say, and basically he refused to talk about it. In fact he said "OK, You're prying." PRYING???)
Now, we won't even begin to address why this is just a stupid statement...the part about him HATING U2. I mean, you don't have to like them, that's fine...you can like or not like whatever you want....but HATE. HATE?? I mean, that's just silly. But we won't even get into that. We don't have to. There are two other major problems with this:
1. Particularly upon meeting someone for the first time, when something, such as a person's undying, fabulous love for something, such as an Irish rock band, comes up twice in conversation, you don't say "I hate _____" It doesn't matter what it is. It doesn't matter if it's Celine Dion, who obviously just kind of sucks.
You just don't squish someone like that. Because some people, unlike myself, feel hurt and sad and insecure and unliked by such statements.
(You could hurt someone's feelings.)
And some people, like myself, just get really pissed off and annoyed and maybe even a little teeny bit aggressive.
(You could get punched in the eye.)
2. If you are ballsy and rude enough to make such a strong statement about something that the person you are talking to obviously cares a lot about, you really had ought to be man-enough or person-enough to give some sort of reason why. You can't just say that and expect it to be left there. Hanging. Like a big, blood-dripping, evil LIE in the middle of the room. It's fucking bait. Right? Why would you even say that, other than to get a reaction? And a negative one at that. What else could you possibly be doing? Inviting a fight and then refusing to engage? I mean, I'm all for a good healthy debate, but this...this was just WRONG. I was FURIOUS.
So...based on all of these things exploding all at once in my brain, I excused myself and went home.
Amazingly coincidentally, this conversation took place at the same exact place where I almost got into a fight with a gaggle of sorority girls. There must be something in the food there...
One of the first things Amanda said about me when he first arrived on the scene last night is that I have alot of crazy stories. Little did he know he was about to become one.
