Monday, October 23, 2023

I have to ask...

Has anyone had the experience of being misjudged or misunderstood, because people don't really know you or bother to get to know you? I've had that experience quite a few times in my life. More so since I've moved here. The truth is that nobody here knows me. No that it's everybody else's fault. As you all know, I'm a very private person. The rest. Well, they just never bothered to get to know me.

I've mentioned many times that I've been raised with strict British ways. What that means is that I've been raised with proper etiquette. Now, we have never ever used the E word in my family. It's a big no no. Anyone who's been raised this way will tell you that it's not something you talk about. Most people don't know that there's way more to etiquette than just using the proper utensils at the dinner table. It's basically a way of life. Not gonna lie. I am very very proper (my oldest closest BFF {who I've know most of my life}will confirm this. she gets quite a kick out of it 😂) I've had a few people think that I'm a snob over the years (of course they're people who didn't know me that well). Once they got to know me, they actually apologized for misjudging me because they come to find out that I'm just a fun, friendly, laid back kinda girl. 

I will admit though that I do hold the utensils in the wrong hands. I've always wanted to be left handed. I thought that it was one of the coolest things when I was a kid 😂 I even tried to write with my left hand, but my already ugly handwriting was even worse with my left hand 😂 We are taught to eat with the proper utensils from an early age. I was about 6 or 7 when my father finally caved (gave up on trying to teach me the correct way to eat 😂 I should mention that he had the patience of a saint) & let me eat like a left handed person - knife in left hand, fork in right hand. I at least eat the right way 😂 My mother would sometimes switch her utensils (cut the food with knife and fork, then put down knife and switch the fork to the other hand. I don't know why she did this sometimes, because she knew the proper way to eat) and I could see my father cringe inwardly. I cringe when people do that too. To me, it's just wrong. 

So my personality is that of very reserved & polite, yet friendly (to those who aren't close to me). I don't just let my hair down or share my personal life with anyone, until they get really close to me. I don't do this intentionally. It's just who I am. You will always see me doing the right thing too. I'm totally against stealing anyone's thunder - weddings, showers, presentations or any other special event or occasion. It's in very very poor taste to do that. It's that person(s)'s special day. You always have to dress & act accordingly. If I unintentionally do the wrong thing or misunderstood the assignment, I immediately correct it. It would bother me (drive me nuts) if I didn't.  In fact, I hate the spotlight. I'm really uncomfortable with attention. I've had it for most of my life and never cared for it. I'll just politely take whatever pat on the back/praise people want to give me and move on. I prefer to be behind the scenes. I'll push everyone else into the spotlight (whether I'm helping them or just encouraging or motivating them) and let them enjoy the praise. I've lived in a fish bowl for most of my life and didn't care for it. I'm not ungrateful for who I am/we are. I just don't like all the attention and I especially don't like all the judging. To this day, people still judge us and hold us to a higher standard. Never mind that they're doing far worse things than we are. 

I'm not gonna lie. There are many things that I'll frown upon, but you will never know about it. Why, because it's in poor taste to call anyone out too. There are many things about my mannerisms that I can't explain here. Just know that I'll always choose to do the right thing. I always put my best foot forward. People might not always understand it, but it's what I do.  My father would've been proud of me. I took all those lessons heart 😂

I have many close friends who still don't know all that much about me. No, I'm not secretive or hiding anything. There is a HUGE difference between being private & being secretive. Heck, my BF knows a lot more about me than they do. That says a helluva lot about what he means to me, because I don't share my personal life with just any old body. So when I'm closed off to others, it's nothing personal. It's just how I was raised. 

Now, the other thing is that most people jump to all kinds of wrong conclusions about me, because they never bothered to get to know me. I'm not gonna lie, it hurts when people do that (boy I'm being very vulnerable right now), because I never treat others that way. I always believe in getting to know people and not judging them for anything. I actually don't go around judging others. It's not my nature. I choose to believe the best in others. I will also not judge someone based on whatever bad things anyone told me about them. I don't play that game. I will get to know that person for myself. 

I really don't want to be too vulnerable here (I really don't like to show my weaknesses to others), but I wanted to ask. Has anybody had the experience of being misjudged by people who won't bother to get to know you. I can understand people judging others (not that I agree with it), because they don't know you. I just don't care much for those who misjudge you because they CHOOSE to not get to know you. 

In my experience, I've found that the BEST and/or nicest people (those who make the best friends and/or partners) are the ones who are misjudged or misunderstood. I wish that people would take time to get to know others, because they might just find them to be real gems.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now. I need to catch some beauty sleep peeps 😴

12 comments:

  1. We lived in Illinois until I was 19 and my brother stayed behind. I feel like he does not know me at all and he doesn’t. I’m 56 now, and he judges me based on lies that are not true. I’m doing my best to let it roll off my back like water on a duck. It’s not easy though, is it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sorry you have to deal with this Belinda. You are a wonderful person & I pray that your brother will learn to have more faith & trust in you. I wish that people would realise how much they hurt others by believing lies and/or rumors. I've had the same/similar experience. I finally learned (at I least I try to, but it still hurts) to not let it get to me. If people want to judge me based on lies, then that's their problem. I know the truth & God knows the truth, so that's all that matters. Wishing you a wonderful day my friend. Hugs

      Delete
  2. "My mother would sometimes switch her utensils (cut the food with knife and fork, then put down knife and switch the fork to the other hand. I don't know why she did this sometimes, because she knew the proper way to eat) and I could see my father cringe inwardly. I cringe when people do that too. To me, it's just wrong."

    Your mother was simply dining American fashion. It's not wrong, nor is it improper. It's just different from European fashion. European fashion is certainly a faster way to eat, instead of constantly cutting a single piece, switching cutlery to eat that single piece, and then switching back again to cut another piece.

    I don't know how or why the American fashion evolved, but it is no less legitimate than the European style. I think it's more fun to concentrate on good dining conversation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree about good dining conversation. I have to clarify that my family's not uptight though. We are a loud, crazy bunch. We have a very good balance between doing the right thing & having fun/enjoying life. We have always lived life to the fullest :)

      Delete
  3. I haven't really dealt with this. I do remember when I met my husband and he told his neighbour I was shy and not to mistake that for being snobby, which was definitely true.. I think you should only share what you are comfortable with regardless of what anyone thinks. If people judge you, that speaks more about their character than yours. Be true to who you are.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm exactly like you Theresa. I'm shy at first (most people will find this hard to believe once they get to know my crazy self...lol) and that can be misinterpreted. I mainly struggle with people's poor treatment of me, because I would never dream of treating others like that. I treat people the way I expect to be treated and expect the same in return. Those high expectations of mine...lol

      Delete
  4. Lies have abounded about me for over 50 years, spread by two people. I do not want to die before those lies are exposed. I am 76, so those lies will probably define me in death.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sorry to hear that others have spread so many lies about you. Why can't people just treat everyone with kindness and not judge/criticize or spread false information about them?

      Delete
  5. In my 20's and 30's there were many times where people that didn't even know me would think that I was 'stuck up' or self centered when that couldn't have been further from the truth. I had a few friends that told me this and they defended me saying you just don't know her at all. I don't know why some people will make assumptions on what is really in someone's heart that they don't even know at all. It just boggles my brain. I'm sorry you've dealt with this too from time to time. I just try to remind myself that what someone else thinks about me is actually none of my business and it's definitely not my problem, it is their problem. Hugs my friend!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank your Lori! Ugh, why can't people just mind their own business instead of judging others? I've learned to just let God deal with them. I try to enjoy every single day of my life instead of wasting my worrying about those judgmental fools. Have a wonderful day my friend.

      Delete
  6. I am more reserved than my in laws and I am sure that none of them really know me or even try to get to know the real me. Pretty sure there are rumors about me as well, but I have become better at shrugging them off over the years.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I knew that you would understand the reserved part or be the same way. I've dealt with similar things as you Jackie. Praying that your in laws will come to appreciate the great person that you are.

      Delete

My blog has moved

Hi everyone I have decided to move my blog. I tried to sign up for ads several years ago, only to to discover that the ex already owned an a...