I Can Be Complicated

Three words to describe me would have to be a gross simplification! I can be a bit complicated!

I find myself to be extremely curious. When I’m at a staff meeting at work or talking to one of my friends, I often have questions about what has been discussed or communicated. I find myself to be very curious about the purpose or meaning of what was said.

Unfortunately for me, my curiosity can often be interpreted as being argumentative. Like when a friend states an opinion, I often ask “what do you mean by that?” or “tell me more about that” and the friend can become defensive. I truly am looking for more information.

One word that I often hear to describe myself is sensitive. Most of the time it is spoken by someone saying “You are way too sensitive.” For example, I am not a fan of practical jokes. When someone plays a joke on another, I often feel bad for the receiver of the joke.

complicated Like the night we were visiting a friend at her home. My son was about five years old and my friend’s two sons invited him to go to their room to play. They were a bit older but he seemed happy to go with them. About fifteen minutes later, my son came screaming down the stairs. One of the boys had put on a scary mask, hidden in the closet, and jumped out with a scream. Matt was terrified and wouldn’t leave my side for the rest of the evening.

I know my friend’s son meant no harm. At the same time, my heart went out to him and I totally understood his hurt feelings.

I have often said that another’s strength can also be their greatest weakness. Being sensitive to others when they are down or afraid is a good thing. Being overly sensitive and getting my feelings hurt is often a weakness of mine.

I have always been a follower of the rules. I don’t agree with taking anything that doesn’t belong to me, even to be funny. I’ve always worked in careers that required honesty and trustworthiness. I hold myself to be a person of Integrity.

When I worked in the banking industry, friends used to ask me if I was tempted by working with all that money. I can honestly say that I was never tempted a bit. The money I worked with never felt like mine. It was the medium I worked with, nothing more. There were a few times when my drawer was short by ten or twenty dollars. I almost always found the outage. Several times, customers would return the extra money to me and I was very grateful. I took balancing my drawer seriously.

One afternoon, I was checking out at one of the big box stores. The clerk gave me a figure that I owed. I mentally knew it was too little and I noticed that she had not charged me for the two lawn chairs that I had on the bottom of my cart. I mentioned it to her and she gave me my new total. She was very grateful for my honesty. I felt good about it too!

If someone gives me incorrect change, I always bring it to their attention. If they have shorted me or given me too much, I let them know so we can correct it. I hate losing things and always appreciate it if someone finds it and returns it to me. I do the same thing without hesitation.

There is a quote that I believe in. It says: “The true test of a man’s character is determined by what they would do if they knew they would never be found out”.

Curiosity, sensitivity and integrity are words that I live by. These are words that resonate with my heart and my soul. When I own them, I always feel best about myself.