Thursday, July 23, 2009

It's Almost Funny

On another online venue, I posted a cryptic little two-liner about "certain people" who treat others badly. So happens (as it often does) that I was referring to my boss, The Scorpion Queen. There was no reason to be specific, and since it is a semi-private social networking site, I deliberately refrained from "naming names" or providing more detail. My reference was general enough that many others reading it could relate. Many did. The responses varied from "me too" to "having a bad day, are we?" to "karma will kick their butts sooner or later," etc.

Well, some people are awfully paranoid. One of those is my ex. After months of blessed silence from the lad, I started getting snarky online posts and e-mails from him. After a bit of bewildered back-and-forth on a range of topics, Doug finally got to the point of his strange demeanor. He had read my post on the social networking site and instantly jumped to the conclusion that I was referring to him.

Several responses came to mind, but maybe the St. John's Wort has been doing me more good than I realized. I managed to remain friendly and matter-of-fact, and assured him that the wellspring of that post was my working environment, and that he could expect plenty more in that vein, due to an overwhelming need to vent as an alternative to doing something that might land me on the six o'clock news.

I have often been struck by the bizarre similarities between my ex-husband and my late mother. One of those parallels was a tendency to assume that any cryptic thing I might write was a reference to them. Mom read one of my youthful short stories (without my permission) and lambasted me for describing her as "plump and matronly." There was no convincing her that I had Sada Thompson in mind when I wrote it. And now, 32 years later, here's Doug, channeling Mom.

And betraying his guilty conscience in the bargain...

2 comments:

iODyne said...

my daughter channels a scary hybrid of my mother and my ex-M-I-L.
Your issue is one of ego: they both assume Everything Is About Them.
good luck.

I followed you here from comment at Hades because anyone with BBT in their Hot Zone is OK by me and Then I saw Rex Stout and The South and HOLMES - I am so hanging out for it to open here - just adore RD Jnr.
Love Nero Wolfe novels, and loved the TV series with Tim Hutton too.

I do hope you have read and enjoyed Florence King ?
"Confessions Of A Failed Southern Lady' is where I discovered her.

Volly said...

Thank you for visiting!