Done With It

If there is one thing that I can NOT stand or tolerate is people who think that they are better than someone else.  I HATE snotty attitudes and people who walk around thinking that they are better than everyone else.  And worse yet, treating them like they are.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, sets me off quicker than that.

As far back as I can remember, I have been this way.  I attribute a lot of that to my parents.  They were always involved with Special Olympics and the mental retardation community.  (Which is what it was called at the time.  Obviously that term is not used anymore.  I only use it in the context of my involvement when I was younger.)

Because of that involvement, I saw a lot of people being mistreated or made fun and it made me sad.  And mad.  And I didn't really understand then why people were so mean to others.  Or treated them like they were better than them.

And I still don't.

But it doesn't get any better as an adult.  Adults just get better at hiding it.

Or they don't.

And that is exactly why I am not involved in the PTA anymore.  I can't stand to see the moms cluster up into their little groups and treat others like they have some disease if they work or they don't work or they aren't involved in the PTA or they are.  Or if they are not volunteering enough or they are volunteering too much.

Or if they're not doing something correctly or perfectly when they *do* volunteer.

And there are the ones that walk around like they should get special treatment because of what they do.

And they SHOULDN'T.  Actually, it should be the opposite.  If you are on the board and you represent the school, you should take extra caution to make sure that it doesn't appear that you are getting special treatment because of "who you are and what you do for the school."

You should do what you do for the school for your children and all the children at the school not because of the status of it.

And you sure the hell shouldn't expect a teacher (or a para...oh the horror of it all) to allow you to park in a non specified parking area "because they damn well know who you are and what you do for the school."  And then raise all kinds of hell when they make you park with the COMMON folks.  OH THE INJUSTICE AND HORROR OF IT ALL.

So yeah.  I don't volunteer with the PTA anymore.  Because I was done with it.

And when I started playing tennis a few years ago, I thought it would be different.

And why I thought that a group of women could behave in an adult manner is beyond me.  I should have known better.

As I said, I started playing tennis about three years ago.  I love everything about the game.

Well.  Everything except for the drama. 

And nothing brings out drama like competition.

A few years ago, before the competition season started, one of the team captains and her co-captain tried to convince me to captain a team.  I thought that they were being nice because they thought I would make a good captain.  They almost had me talked into it.

I figured that their team was full already which is why they didn't ask me to play and why they wanted me to start another team.

The one captain said that she would help me find players and she would help me figure it out.

Then I started thinking about it and I realized they were just trying to set me up so that they would have a team to beat so they could get to districts.

And I figured this out because 1) the players that she said that she would help me recruit were ones that she deemed unworthy to be on her team (including me) and 2) I heard her asking other people to play on her team after she started recruiting me to captain a team. 

And this hurt my feelings because obviously *I* was one of the players she deemed beneath her.

And I was mad.  Mad that someone could treat someone else that way.

But whatever.  I told her no and let it go.

Something that you should probably know about me is I am not "one of those players".  Meaning I don't get mad at my partner if they make mistakes.  I don't throw my racket if I'm mad.  I don't cheat if I'm behind.  I don't argue and start fights on the court with either my partner or my opponents.

I hate that behavior and I refuse to play with people who act like that.  And if someone does act like that while I'm playing with them (usually in a real match where I have no control over the people on the court), it's totally on like Donkey Kong for me.  I will totally go after them.  Verbally and most definitely my play will become way more aggressive.

I HATE THAT BEHAVIOR.  But this should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me.

About a year ago, I played doubles with a friend of mine.  And I haven't played with her since because of what happened on the court that day.  No tennis match is worth treating someone in an unkind manner.  And that left a really bad taste in my mouth.

And I haven't forgotten it.

So here lately, I've been noticing a lot more behavior around this community.  Behavior that is just unnecessary.  People being rude, or just flat out ignoring others, whom they deem as unworthy to step on a court with them.  Players who play at a higher level won't even speak to, much less play with, players at a lower level.

Which is dumb.  You need to play against all types of players to get better.  Playing with the same people who hit the same type of ball isn't going to make you better.

You go to "socials" where people only play within their group of friends and don't mix it up.

What's the point in going?

I will NEVER understand this.  NEVER.

Nor will I condone it or participate in it.

Obviously, there are exceptions.  And there are some really nice players out there.  But the ones who treat others like they are beneath them because they don't have as high a rating, are ruining the fun of it for me. And they may not even be doing it directly to me.  It's just behavior that I've observed.

And I'm observing more of it because now I can't not see it.

The first question that most people ask a new player to the area is "what's your rating and do you play USTA?"

Really?  REALLY?

Can't you just say hello and be nice to someone without getting into all of that?

Gah.  I hate the behavior.  And I'm kinda done with it.  And by "kinda" I mean I am.

Unfortunately, I am just like my father.  And Owen is just like me.  Exactly like me.  In fact, ironically enough, I blogged about a conversation that I had with him a few weeks ago.  And it was titled the exact same thing.  Which I did not do on purpose.

And once we're done with something, it's pretty much over. 

And I'm trying to not let that happen.  Because I truly do like to play.

I just hate all of the drama that surrounds a bunch of women.  And this is probably why I hung out with guys while I was growing up.

Because who wants to deal with all of that.  It's stupid.  And it makes me mad.  And sad.

And I'm done with it.