Words have POWER

First I need to start with the fact that I spent the day minding my own business. Just like the water. I even redirected a student to the person who could and should help her. The person who has the power to address the issue.

Oh the fun thing for today...I was interviewed by a group of five year olds. Along with knowing about my job and what I do to uplift my community they also know my favorite color is purple, I lived on an island growing up, I love shoe shopping and my dog's name is Maya. It was a very nice change of pace for my week. They are using the information to write a poem. I'll be sure to share the poem. I'm a little nervous.

Now on to today's topic....

Yesterday, I was sitting in a meeting in front of an English professor. She asked the speaker to answer a question on a word the speaker had used. The professor admitted that her question might be a matter of semantics but she needed to make sure there wasn't any subtext. Meanwhile, I'm thinking..."because words have power". 

One of the things I've been doing for years is training folks with disabilities and/or training folks to work with people with disabilities. As I move my soap box into place, let me tell you, I just cringe inside when I hear certain words in reference to disabilities. Some of them are as hurtful to me as a racial slur. Suffer, Afflicted, Arthritic, and Patient are four of my least favorite words. My doctor is over across town. I see him maybe three times a year. Him and his nurse are the only people who can call me a patient just because I have an autoimmune disorder. I'm a woman. A dog owner. An educator. A bad singer (who sings ALL the time). A clown. A blogger (as of this week). Some days a Princess even but not a patient! Unless, of course, you happen to catch me in a robe with my butt hanging out.

I'm also not afflicted with anything. I have an autoimmune disorder. If you don't know why that one is offense, here's a quick definition: "To inflict grievous physical or mental suffering on".  Most days I'm not "suffering".  In fact if you catch me "suffering" it's more so because I'm spoiled, I like getting my way, and I might be a little over dramatic. Let me miss a meal and I'll be sure to tell you I'm suffering and blame you if you are between me and my next meal. As a person with arthritis I have good days and bad days and to imply I'm suffering negates all the wonderful things in my life. All the wonderful ways that I would much rather describe myself. This week I'm going with Rock Star!

Today's Lesson Brought To You By Life!

Today's lesson is for me. Don't do other people's work for them and stay out of their business if you don't want to be invited into their world.

Okay, it's probably safe to say I'm a bit of a busy body. I don't mean to be just two things...1.) I hate watching people flounder when I know the answer and 2.) I hate not knowing the answers. Ugh! I will tell you this, however, from a disability perspective my colleagues never say oh that poor woman she has a chronic illness - poo poo. They are too busy passing their work off on me instead of doing it themselves! So today I helped with the company brochures, provided feedback to a student who isn't mine and I didn't even speak to (just spoke to the person who was SUPPOSED to talk to him) and put time in on a political campaign. Okay, that isn't fair I did agree to do that last one but please know none of these are my job. I do not get paid or promoted or even thanked for any of the above. Now I'm stressed and achy and whiny. So what's my lesson. Mind Your Business, girl!

I'm mixing my religions I know but one of the things that stand out for me about this day are the Taoism quote I sent to a friend. I admittedly was clowning him 'cause that's what I do, but I probably could stand to read and remember some of Taoism at the end of this day.

Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.

So instead of sending a scathing email to the co-worker who probably forwarded my email instead of actually talking to HIS student....

Instead of getting into an argument with the chick about the print on the brochures (which really is hard to read)....

and

Instead of even telling you what I really think about the rest of those yahoos, I'm going to remember that none of this was even my business until I made it so. I'm going to be soft and yielding. Okay, maybe I'll just settle for being a little less of a busy body.