I can't really respond appropriately to either one of those remarks as I don't know how to please the people who have said them. I have found (and I hope that this doesn't sound pretentious or racist in any way) that if you seek a reason to hate someone, you will find a reason. If you seek something good in someone, you will find something good in them.
How do you respond to people who label you? They have already made a preconceived judgement about you. How should it make you feel? Should that type of judgement affect you? You know who you are and what you stand for. Don't ever forget your value. Sometimes when other negative things are going on in your life, you question yourself. Each of us knows our own level of integrity and compassion. You are the real judge of you.
My immediate reaction was anger.... and snap - I forgot to take my blood pressure medication this morning and had a 20oz coffee and I could feel the pressure increasing. Oh my God! I mentioned that I drink coffee and not tea!! Was that pretentious (or wait, is it the other way around?) Then I remembered something that God said to me this morning (through a message on someone's Facebook status) that said that you shouldn't meet anger with anger because the people who are projecting it are most likely just continuing a cycle that you shouldn't continue/repeat. Instead, you should just think of good things and pass kindness along (combat the darkness with light and all that). Hard to do, right?
Do I sound like Bridget Jones or Sarah Jessica Parker as some have stated? I don't know. Do I? They're fictitious characters, however, I'm not. Do I sound pretentious? (I just used "however" in a sentence!) I throw out French words once in a while in a sarcastic way (I took French for 4 years but I - in no way/shape/form - claim to have a handle on the language. Kill it for real.) I thought I was being anti-pretentious. I drop the F bomb regularly (disguised as the "ph" bomb). I didn't think I was being pretentious. Who knew?
How do you argue with someone who calls you a racist? I don't know how to combat that. Maybe I should listen to Madonna's or Paula Dean's PR teams who say to just apologize. Ok, I'm sorry sorry sorry (that I called someone "Indian" who may or may not have been "Indian." - something that I commented on through the Negative Blog several months ago.) (I'm American Indian, French, Finish and Irish; all nationalities which have been persecuted in some way throughout history.)
I hope that I help people through the blog. That's my main objective. But, you can't help everyone and you can't make everyone happy. I'm seriously having enough trouble keeping myself happy these days and it is getting really hard to expend the energy on others.
I'm blessed. I'm grateful. I have amazing friends, family members, pets, and people who I have never met, but maybe I've done something good for along the way. One of my favorite all-time quotes:
“I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
Etienne de Grellet (1773-1855);
Quaker Missionary
Quaker Missionary
Sweety, (is that pretentious? Oh I hope so. Do I give a poop? No) You have been extremely helpful to so many, many expats living here or just passing through. You have brought us news, info, insight, laughter and great writing. For which I, as are many, am very thankful for. Yours is one of the few blogs I still read, I've given up on many because of some of the nasty, pathetic, unintelligible comments that complete morons feel they have to share. We need you DG. You say it like it is. Sooooo refreshing! xxx
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you had to deal with such people, and like you said, you can't please everyone. It's very natural to be upset about such remarks especially when it's so obvious that they're not true.
ReplyDeleteIt's because of such remarks that I keep reminding myself: ignorance is a bless.
Hi, I have been reading your blog for years now, and I never once thought that you were being in the least bit racist.
ReplyDeleteI hate that other blog. Pretentious upty expat who secretly craves citizenship but who comes across as a slimy smub lebanese too good for a real job. Love my real dg....love you
ReplyDeletesmug, not smub,.....oh, and he's CANADIAN is he?
ReplyDeletewell, in the words of Archie Bunker "Whoopy do"
The cyber world is full of bullies , their harsh words reflect their own problems and inflated egos. Don't let them get to you . The impression I get of you from reading your blog is someone with a kind heart and far from pretentious.
ReplyDeleteKeep your positive outlook and don't look back .
Thanks you guys. I really appreciate the kind words - sometimes that's all it takes.
ReplyDeleteI'm also glad that I'm not the only one who remembers Archie Bunker! LOOL!
Love you people!
Gurrrrrl, I just read all of that silliness this morning. I admit, I haven't been keeping up with blogs lately (including my own). But yours is ALWAYS the first I read. You have never ever ever come across as the least bit racist or pretentious. If anything just the opposite. You're not showy, fake, or pretentious. You're simply you and we wouldn't want it any other way.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your positive comments. I appreciate them and you are in the majority.
ReplyDeleteFor those who sent negative comments (despite the nature of this post), I don't cater to ashholes. You have a choice and you don't need to read further. Go back to the Negative Blog because this one won't publish what you have to say.