Comments

I guess that's a little like The Symphony Snob but it reminds me more of The Insane Music Teacher. Does that mean you've forgiven me for my guitarist comments, Jim? Pleeeease? Hmmm. I don't know if you can be forgiven for those comments or not. I don't remember them. When I was about 5 yrs old or so, I guess I was acting a little crazy because I had to get some shots or something. What small child likes getting stabbed with needles? Anyway, a nurse gave my mom some pamphlets on what to do with mentally unstable children!!!!!!!! I WAS NOT CRAZY! I'm still not! That made my mother MAD! I didn't know about that incident until recently! another day, another looney. Jim - oh, never mind. I was referring to an earlier blog where there was this guitar teacher.... um, never mind.

Jasmine - oh, I can just see it! I found your story oddly comforting. Tell your mom about mine and I'm sure she'll get a laugh. Funny how it's easy to laugh years later.

Buri - the scary thing is the loonies that come off so normal, well-educated and collected. Until they start talking about their theories... For a panicked moment, tho, you're not sure whether they are the unstable one or you.

Years ago, I did some research in biological psychiatry, and I had some strange encounters with psychiatrists. Your story reminded me of one event in particular. I was waiting in line to get lunch in the cafeteria, and one of the psychiatrists got into line behind me and started a conversation with me. When I got my sandwich, I found a seat and hoped the psychiatrist wouldn't follow me. She did. She sat down and said to me, in a tone of voice reminiscent of an attack, "I watched you order that sandwich, and I can tell that you're passive-aggressive." I'm still LOLing about it. Oh, Pauline, thanks for the laugh! I'm getting wonderful comments from people about this situation and I am heartened to learn that some people are just like that - they think they can accurately judge another person based on a 5 minute observation. And they're rude/idiot/psycho enough to share it. It's getting easier and easier to brush off the woman's comments. Next time, as well, I'll see it coming. That will help.

BTW, Pauline - what kind of sandwich did you order?!

Oh, and this just in.... I sent an email to my editor thanking her for giving me the chance to read at the event and apologizing for my son's disruptive behavior. I mentioned, in a short sentence, about the woman's comments. My editor replied with the following message just now:

"Great to see you and Jonathan and Peter. I wonder who made that comment to you---did you point out that she/he had boundary issues in not minding his/her business? Next time, say that I invited Jonathan and it was a staged disruption to weed out such officious people."

Isn't that the greatest? So nice to have nice people on my side here.

HaHa, great zinger! you have a wonderful editor!

That woman was probably just let out of some institute and was practicing what she'd been counseled.

With Daddy there watching your son couldn't have been very disruptive otherwise it seems dad would have quietly reined him in.

A story:
Years ago one Sunday the preacher's six year old son was very antsy during the sermon. Suddenly the pulpit voice became a booming father voice, "Wesley! Behave yourself!" That jolted all of us kids into self control. Very effective, probably because the quiet mannered pastor had never done anything like that before.

>With Daddy there watching your son couldn't have been very disruptive otherwise it seems dad would have quietly reined him in.

Wanda, thanks so much for mentioning that! When I posted my story at another forum, someone's comment was to judge my husband for not intervening. I didn't know what to say - he's usually the type to stay on top of his son's behavior (more so than I). I think I allowed the intensity of the psycho-therapist's reply to color my own perception on how badly my son was misbehaving. Your comment here helped put that all into perspective.

And hilarious preacher story. : )