A few months after my first daughter was born, my Mom told me I was turning out to be a good mother and she was glad, because she thought that I really didn't care for little kids. It surprised me because there was no question in my mind that a baby was a big responsibility and that I had to do the best job I possibly could. Her worry did make sense after I thought about it though, because when I younger I ignored my little brothers and sister a lot. I babysat in the neighborhood but only for the money, not because I liked it. I never cooed over babies that I saw. Having my own babies definitely changed me.
Cathie,
53
Novi, MI USA
A 13 year old girl
IM'ed me after reading something I had posted on a message board some
time ago. I started chatting with her occasionally because she seemed
to need a friend. She confided in me how she felt insecure because she
was over weight, how she had a bad home life because her
mother would say cruel things to her...I don't know...I felt bad for her
and my maternal instinct kicked in...so when ever she'd IM me, I'd chat
with her for a while, try to cheer her up, try to make her feel like she
was a worthy human being. Now, I'm not really one who particularly enjoys
chatting with a 13 year old child, I'm not a weirdo, or anything like
that, and in fact, I often found
her IM's to be bothersome...but, like I said, I did talk to her because
she just sounded so sad about life, and that, to me, is a terrible thing,
particularly for a child, who's life should be filled with wonder at that
age! Anyhow...let me get to the point! The other night she IM'ed me and
said she wasn't going to talk to me because she said I acted too childish!
It made me chuckle at first, because I would sometimes tell her stupid
jokes, just to make her smile...but I never really considered myself to
be "Childish"...this especially coming from a child! The more
I thought
about it, though...the angrier I became ...I don't know why! Something
like this shouldn't bother me...but for some reason I wanted to tell this
person "I really didn't want to talk to you in the first place...all
I was doing was trying to put a smile on your face when we did talk...and
you call me
CHILDISH? Why???" But I didn't say that. I just IM'ed back that,
yes, sometimes I was childish and that I hoped never to lose that fine
quality. And I said Goodbye.
Tam
A therapist once
told me that I am a perfectionist. I couldn't figure out how someone could
be a gigantic procrastinator and a perfectionist at the same time. She
explained that if you think you
can't do something perfectly, you will procrastinate. Hmm. I guess that
was worth $100 bucks.
Cindy,
41
VA USA
The best compliment I ever Recieved was that I was a beautiful person inside and out.
Hoochie
That I frighten people.
Jill,
61
Saylorsburg, PA USA
Most compliments surprise me. My friend says I suffer from low self-esteem.
Reba,
57
Gaithersburg, MD USA
Anything that might even losely resemble a compliment always surprises me -- not because I'm that down on myself, but because people don't tend to be very generous with compliments in gerneral.
Keri-Jade,
23
Brampton, Ontario CANADA
I found out that one of the nurses on night shift at the hospital that I work at thinks I'm really sweet, and I think she is really nice so that is more of a compliment cominhg from her than someone I have either an indifferent or negative feeling about.
Melodi,
19
Gahanna, OH USA
In the early days of our marriage, my husband implied that I lied to him. Not only did it surprise me, I went into rage that he'd never seen before. I don't lie.
Laura,
37
Lowell, MA USA
Ugh. Someone told me at a recent neighborhood reunion that they couldn't believe I had finally started to show my age. Crude slap in the face with reality! But mostly because I didn't expect something like that out of the person who said it!
Fisch,
47
Preston, CT USA
Hmmm... I've had many people say many things about me... some surprising, some not. I guess most recently it would just be a comment a friend of a friend made about me in an e-mail... I barely know this guy, but he told my friend that he thought I was a very nice guy. I guess I was just surprised that he thought to write that more than him actually saying that.
Doug2,
30
Kansas City, KS USA
There have been several people who seem nice and friendly and I enjoy teaching who have said some pretty bigotted and racist things. It always surprises me and really saddens me when that happens.
Felicia,
36
Lowell, MA USA
There have been some, I'm sure, but I can't think of any.
Karen,
23
Ames, IA USA
Well, one comment that damn near made me croak from laughing...my dad asked me if I ever thought of joining Mensa...dude, that is totally whacked...me nut no nutin' aint bout nutin...gnarly dude...
Frodo,
31
Middle Earth
I am working with a young man who just graduated college. The other day, he asked if I started working when I was ten, cause he thought I was in my 30's. SO that pleasantly surprised me.
Janet,
45
E. Brunswick, NJ USA