Aloha!
It’s Whiny Wednesday, the day for grumbling and griping about whatever’s on your mind.
I, however, am in Hawaii with my mum, so I have absolutely nothing to whine about.
But please, don’t let my Aloha spirit wreck your Whiny Wednesday.
Whine on, my friends.
In the last couple of weeks I have met some people working and when the subject of children comes up, I am not asked; “Do you have kids”? I am asked; “How many kids do you have”?. Who is anyone to assume I have any kids? I have in the past asked me with suprise that I have been married for so long and “No kids”? I have even been asked “What’s wrong with you”?
Why are people so cold? This is still a point of depression for me. I still feed I have failed my wife and her denials of that still do not deep me from thinking that.
If anyone remembers I posted last week about three baby/pregnancy announcements at work on one day. Well, after I posted, the guy with the new baby and his wife brought their baby into the office. They proceed to stand directly behind my desk for half an hour. Twenty people come stand too freaking out over the baby. Right behind me. For half an hour. They even put their baby on my desk. I would laugh if it didn’t hurt so much.
Oh Kelly, I’m soooo sorry!!! Talk about throwing salt in the wound! So painful and thoughtless…. Sending you healing hugs!!! xoxo – Kristine
So sorry. This has happened to me too — when I worked at a different job 10 years. Horrible. I really feel for you.
It’s one of those days when a flippant facebook announcement takes you back to being a sad mess when you thought you were doing so much better with this whole child free hand life has dealt you. I guess you know someone else has it super easy on the fertility front when the announcement of baby #3 gets tacked on at the end of the post. More people hidden from my newsfeed!
@Joe, I think my response to people asking what’s wrong with you would be to ask them that question right back. Something is clearly wrong with anyone that insensitive.
@Kelly, you are nicer than me. Pushed to that limit, I probably would have said something nasty about the baby being put on my desk.
OK, here’s a gripe – at my high school reunion (I won’t say which one! š one of the men talked for at least an hour about his kids. OK, that’s fine I guess, but then he looked at the rest of us and said, “Enough about my kids, tell me about yours!” That’s when I got up from the table. Fortunately, my girlfriends (who are moms) agreed with me that it was an idiotic thing to say. Sisterhood isn’t dead ladies!
And also, to Kelly, I’m so sorry you had that experience, I know how it can hurt.
I love that we get to do this. First up: a welcome to Joe. There are some posts on our site about how different people respond to the “Do you have kids?” question. Some are funny, some are inappropriate (but we laugh thinking about it), and some will help you. I encourage you to take a look around. One of my favorite responses shared on this site was along the lines of “No, but my wife and I like to practice three times a week.” I hope you’ll find some support and encouragement here.
I normally try not to whine, but… it’s been an incredibly stressful time for me and I need a break. Two close family members in/out of hospitals with serious (and somewhat unknown) conditions, a client who is waaaay past due paying a big invoice (from DECEMBER), tax prep (and the related smack in the face of how much money I did not make last year), a plumber who isn’t returning my calls (to fix a bathroom sink that’s been broken for a month), plus all the usual responsibilities of running a full-time business and a full-time household. I am grateful for my good life. Now I would like a nap. Or a real vacation. Or a week’s vacation during which I can nap as much as I want/need. (Wish I’d gone to Hawaii with Lisa and her mum.)
A few weeks ago my husband and I rented a car for a few days to celebrate our wedding anniversary (a big one). As usual, we checked it over when we picked it up, and when we dropped it off. Then the guy from the rental company ran his hands under the front bumper. (In all the years I’ve been renting cars I’ve never seen them do this – it was as if he “knew” he had to do it!) And he claimed there was damage. And we’ve been hit with a $690 bill, that we’re going to have to fight. (We did not damage the car!) And did I mention we still don’t have jobs? Argh.
I’ve had a similar experience! They’re the worst. Good luck to you guys!
Oh, that sucks, Mali! I’m SORRY to hear that. I hope you’re able to sort it out. That bill is outrageous! Geez…GOOD LUCK on the workfront as well!!!!