Gratitude, rudeness and credit...and uh... Thanksgiving? 

This post is severely all-over-the-place and a little confused.  But whatever.  It's Monday, and at the risk of blogging feeling like homework, I may or may not edit this.

I was thinking about the ideas of gratitude, credit and etiquette again this morning.  I say again, because these are things that have been floating through my head all weekend, due to Mother's Day, and a few other happenings in and around my apartment building.  Of course, giving credit and thanks to mom is an obvious one... and one day a year isn't and shouldn't be enough to express one's thanks to a person who not only agreed to dedicating her life to raising you decent-like (in most cases, anyway) but also gave in to having an alien creature literally sucking the life out of her for 9 months only to then have her vagina destroyed to bring us into the world.  That's quite the sacrifice, if you ask me. (One I'll never make, God willing. *shudder* ) But again, I say, that one's obvious... and while a nice pot o' hanging geraniums from me to her only said "I love you, but I'm not original, and I don't have time/energy/money to get you a real present", I think she got the idea anyway.  She seemed very happy with the gesture, nevertheless.  And no, I definitely don't say it enough, but thanks mom. 

So this got me thinking.  Thanking someone requires an effort, a  certain presence of mind... and the habit of doing it.  And while it IS an exercise is conscious thought, how many neurons could it possibly take to generate a "thank you"?  And for the effort, it sure makes people feel good.  I realize these thoughts are nothing ground-breaking, and I'm sure a lot of people have explored the topic before... but it just seemed to be an ungrateful festival this past weekend... so it stuck to my brain.  I pledged to try to recognize more, especially after this weekend of barbaric assholes we came across.  Example:

My roomie and I experienced our fair share of rudeness on the part of fellow tenants.  Our building requires a magnetic key to get to the elevators... and a trio of folks were looking a little lost, as they didn't seem to have theirs.  And upon happily opening the door for them, they proceeded to simply walk right past us thanklessly, and cut us off, dashing into the elevator when it arrived, shutting the door in our faces.  

Ok, I'm a generalizing jackass... but before this incident in particular,  the Asian bar was set high in my little twisted microcosm of a universe, ok?   But in any case, rudeness is international, and the experience left me wondering  what "Thanks a lot, douchebags!!!" is in Mandarin.  Anyone care to fill me in?  

On another occasion. .. I was teetering my way towards the front door, arms full of groceries, and Nameless MidForties PowerSuit Guy watched me from inside the entire time.  As I noticed from behind the towering paper bags framing my head, he was engrossed in my progress, as though he were watching two lions going at it on the Discovery Channel, and yet did absolutely nothing once I got to the glass doors, and found myself incapable, despite being the supergal I am, of opening said doors.   He watched me put my packages down, struggle to find my keys, drop my beautiful, delicious pink grapefruit all over the place, and did abso-fucking-lutely nothing.  I eventually suceeded in getting in, and tried my best to glare at him, though I think my head was buried in lettuce at this point.  Though maybe I'm being a little harsh.  That glazed-over look of his was reminiscent of a stroke victim.  Maybe he was pulling Ye Olde Aneurism in his corner, and I was disturbing him.  My bad, good sir.

Anyway... all of these things... examples where people get the short end of the stick, well, I'm sure we could all write novels about the amount of experience we all have in this department.  I know I could, with a certain morbid delight, I confess.  There are people taking people for granted everywhere, everyday...regardless of age, creed, religion whatever.  Rudeness is international and intergenerational, and by gum, I say this is why we're all a bunch of feces-flinging animals.  And really, it's not about expecting thanks for everything we do... but it's the principle of it... and it shocks me all the time, how few principles people seem to have.  Once in a while, I like to feel fullfilled with a simple thanks, because I make it a point to give one, or to do something nice.  It's just the principle of fairness, the principle of being aware of your fellow human.

...or maybe I should just start being a hater and slamming elevator doors in your face, too.  (Yeah, I said slamming a sliding elevator door.  You have a problem with that?)

Anyway, the original point of this post was simply to give credit to the people that are in my life that I appreciate, for various reasons, since to counter all the bad ju-ju this weekend, I kind of felt like perpetuating some sugar-spice-and-everything-nice.  I think it's important sometimes, at least in my case, to slow down  and realize the good stuff I've got.  (Despite it being Monday, and my job still sucking the big fat one.)  I realize I have a lot of trouble doing that... but this weekend in particular, I was reminded of how the obvious and less obvious influences in my life are contributing to my well being.  Here's what I thank you for:

1) My Mom: Duh. Well, ok.  You're a pain in the tush a lot of the time, but you never hesitate to help out, or offer your advice, experience and insight.  That and you're a hoot, despite what I might say.  And you put up with unsoundable amounts of crap on my part, and on the part of the sibs, too.  You're a warrior.

2) My Dad: For being more of a sap than he lets on, and for comically loving the dog more than his daughters.  It's pretty funny.  But seriously though, my Dad's a smart, generous guy, despite being a set-in-ways grumpy hobbit, most of the time.  And thanks for slipping me that extra 20 when I need it, and even when I don't.

3) My sisters: For taking me back to basics, making me laugh, and remembering that my feet can always be firmly planted on the ground around you guys, and also for letting me belch to my heart's content. (yessssssssssss.) For always inspiring me to be a better person. (because you little wenches are so much better at everything than I am.)

4) The boyfriend: For being able to go flower-shopping with me on Mother's Day and not be any less manly for it... and for making me breakfast when my lazy ass is still snoring it up in bed... for making leaving me a metro ticket this morning, because you knew I'd lost my metro pass.... again.  And for not being afraid to shake your booty like my 10 cent manwhore in public, no matter how much you know it embarasses me, and because you know I sometimes need embarassing,  despite knowing full well my tendency towards violent physical retribution.

5) The ex-ex-boyfriend: For proving the old saying wrong, about how ex's can never be friends without strings attached.  You're still awesome, 5 years later, and yours is a friendship I really appreciate, for all the bullshit I put you through.

6) The best friend: For being the dutiful ear of all my interminable bullshit, and being able, no matter how seriously I seem to take myself sometimes, to make me laugh about it.

7) The boys who got away: For making my hoplessly romantic life exciting and my loins burn without need for a reason, and making me appreciate even more the boys who don't get away.

8) My arch nemesis: For giving me something to aim for, and surpassing it.  Bitch.

9) That mental patient that screams just outside my window: For making me appreciate my painfully "normal" life, sometimes... and keeping things exciting at the office.

10) The Out-of-Town-Crew: To all those from Hamilton to California to Dublin to Korea, who make my life that much more worldly, and giving me something to miss and look forward to all at once.  For enabling me to pretend I'm that much more cosmopolitain, even though we pretty much all do the same stuff...

11) Xanga: For years of making me practice: "Looking busy while goofing off" at work.  Though now... I'm starting not to be able to catch up.. but the constant threat of being fired for over-surfing the net keeps me on my toes.  But seriously: for making me discover that online is not all bullshit, necessarily.

Thank you: I acknowledge your contribution to my world, and should we all cross paths, I'll hold the door for ya.

There are times when...

Even the cynical witch that I am steps back, forced into silence by the sheer effects of genuine emotion.

I went to my sister's final highschool band performance last night... and while I expected the usual squeeking, off-beat, ear-drum shattering, audio-vomit...

Her group was amazing.  Simply amazing.  They're going to be competing in a Band Festival next week, just like I did when I was her age.  They played the same songs we did, but better.

I have nothing else to say... but gosh Catie, I'm so proud of you.