5:56 p.m. - 2005-11-08
being a friend
Here is a joke to start off my entry:
1) IDIOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: I live in a semi-rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road. The reason: "Too many deer were being hit by cars" and he didn't want them to cross there anymore. This one was from Kingman, KS.
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2) IDIOTS IN FOOD SERVICE: My daughter went to a local Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for "minimal lettuce." He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg.
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3) IDIOT SIGHTING: I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, and "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge? To which I replied, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know? He smiled knowingly and nodded, "That's why we ask." It happened in Birmingham, Alabama.
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4) IDIOT SIGHTING: The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it's safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine when she asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red.
Appalled, she responded, "What on earth are blind people doing driving?!" She was a probation officer in Wichita, KS
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5) IDIOT SIGHTING: At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker who was leaving the company due to "downsizing," our manager commented cheerfully, "this is fun. We should do this more often." Not a word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer in the headlights stare. This was a bunch at Texas Instruments.
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6) IDIOT SIGHTING: I work with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself and for the life of her couldn't understand why her system would not turn on. A deputy with the Dallas County Sheriff's office, no less.
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7) IDIOT SIGHTING: When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver's side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. "Hey," I announced to the technician, "its open!"
To which he replied, "I know - I already got that side." This was at the Ford dealership in Canton, Mississippi!
AND HERE IS MY ENTRY FOR TODAY
HOW CAN I BE SUPPORTIVE OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY?
I try to be there to listen and give advice and my opinion when asked. Sometimes, I give my opinion even if I am NOT asked.
I try to be aware of how the other person is feeling. I may even ask them if something is bothering them if they seem different than usual or very quiet or sad. I am certainly not an expert and have no training in relationships, (except for living my own life). However,I do try to pay attention to the actions of others.
I have detected problems in my journaling friends' entries from time to time. I have given my opinion and suggestion freely as I believe that is one major reason people post with public viewing. I try to be considerate and cognizant of their feelings. In other words, I don't want to hit them over the head with my thoughts but rather suggest gently and supportively what I think might work for them.
When I get comments back on my own journal; sometimes, I am more than aware of what I need to do for myself. But having someone else tell me can be a good way to get me to take the step or the chance. Sometimes, I may not even have realized what the answer was until someone else pointed me in the right direction.
I also do this in real life. I have had friends who I can tell are very upset. Sometimes by talking to them, I can get them to confide what is wrong. If they seem to want my opinion, I do give it.
I have had friends who were seriously ill. The only thing I could do was to send them cards every week or so to just let them know I was thinking of them and cared about them. It is the hardest thing to be supportive of someone who is terminally ill and find a way to "be there" for them but not intrude on their time.
I think the best way to support family or friends is to JUST BE A FRIEND. Be there in the background, ready to do something for them when it is needed. Or just do something nice with no expectation of acknowledgement from them. Just to be there letting them know that I care and I will always try to help.
____________________________________________________________ Good Night
