Ugly People

Ugly People. You know the ones. Grumpy, pessimistic, ugly hearted people. As a teacher, I have the delight of usually running into beautiful people. Little children who are full of hope and joy and excitement for the world around them! I think that's one of the reasons I'm still a teacher. Little bits of their hope, joy, and excitement rub off on me.

Today I had to interact with an ugly person. She is the mom of one of my kiddos. She's angry, pessimistic, and MEAN! There are no other words for her demeanor. She has gotten upset at me before, but today was WAY worse. She just told me that she is going through a separation. Although I have compassion and empathy for her and her family, it's a little hard for me to empathsize because I have never been married. Although after interacting with this woman, I can see some definite reasons that her husband may want some happy time alone.

So last week, this mom made a huge deal about volunteering in my classroom. She signed up, wrote herself a reminder, and exclaimed in the most cheerful voice I've ever heard her use that she was so excited! So I was hopeful that when she came today, the same cheerful outlook would follow despite her rough situation.

Today when she arrived, I quietly explained that she may not want to park in the student parking lot as they would tow her. She looked at me with a look of death until I said, "you know, since you're volunteering today."

She glared and spat out the meanest response, "I can't do that today! Are you kidding?!!!"

Afraid that I would lose my cool, I turned around and called my class to line up.

At pick-up, I had butterflies in my stomach. I didn't want another confrontation. For one, I think that I deserve as much respect as anyone else. Second, I was afraid that I would yell this at her if she was rude again!

So up she walks. I say, "Kaylee, your mom is here for you!'

The mom doesn't give me so much as a smile and has the most AWFUL look on her face. Mean and ugly. She proceeds to lecture me in a yelling voice that things are going to get ugly and she expects me to "love" on her daughter all the time. I open my mouth to speak and she yells at me that she knows I don't understand since I don't have kids and am not a mother, but I have to respect her wishes and "love" on her daughter. All this while she is pointing and yelling at me.

I calmly walked away once she was done and then kicked myself . . . mentally of course! Why did I let her speak to me that way? I could have stood up for myself! And now, I don't want to even have to look at her again. I feel like I am walking on a tightrope around her. One wrong step, and off I go.

It's days like these that I sit here and think, "I just don't make enough to put up with this."

So my conclusion is ugly people suck. And their ugly attitudes just makes them ugly on the inside and the outside!