Jul 23 2007
Thoughtful and Thoughtless
Hey! Guess what! Jackie awarded me with this:
Thank you, Jackie! That’s so incredibly nice!
As is the tradition with these things, I now pass it on. For me, this is a no-brainer. It goes to Jenn in Holland–I don’t know Jenn “in person,” but she has become a dear, eternal friend. She always leaves comments here, and she always replies to the comments I leave at her site. She’s even been known to drop me an email just to tell me that she’s thinking of me. I know! Could there be a cooler e-buddy? She’s the most thoughtful blogger I know. I love you, Jenn.
And, in other news, about ten million years ago, Worker Mommy tagged me for the 7 random facts meme thingy. Have y’all noticed that it takes me forever to get around to these things?
Anyway, I’m going to put my own little Brillig-spin on this one…
SEVEN RANDOM THINGS ABOUT CHURCH YESTERDAY!
1. Fuzzles was fussy and crying, so I took him out into the foyer so as to not disturb the Sunday School class that Hubby and I were attending. I set him down on the floor and let him crawl around. An older woman came up to me and said, “in my day, we were always within arm’s reach of our babies. We just don’t understand you modern moms.” This was all said in chastisement over my baby who was five feet away from me and constantly within my sight. Um….
2. Another older lady stopped me in the hallway to tell me how hideous my outfit was and that she can’t WAIT until that particular look goes out of style.
3. Another old lady (sheesh, was there something in the water???) stopped me to offer me some of her granddaughter’s clothing. She gave me two shirts. They were maternity shirts. First of all, is she really so concerned about my finances or fashion sense that she needed to bring me some of her granddaughter’s clothes? And secondly… I’m…um… not pregnant.
4. Our lesson in Relief Society was about repentance. There were three women, probably in their forties, sitting behind me who criticized and berated the lesson the whole time, speaking loudly enough to be heard by everyone. They were certain that they understood the concept of repentance better, and were therefore mocking everyone else’s comments. They were completely full of themselves and their expert knowledge. I was so embarrassed for them. Through their attitude and mockery, they were showing that while they may have memorized some scriptures, they’d actually missed the whole point. You know–love, kindness, humility, patience…
5. I was wearing shoes with heels so high I could barely walk. Okay, fine, this isn’t unusual. I do it all the time. I just love hobbling through the hallways in excrutiating pain…
6. The Primary lost Bubba. He was just gone when I went to pick him up. We eventually found him in the hallways.
7. For the first time since I was a teenager, I went to church with a hickey on my neck. Yup. Hubby is so proud of his handiwork. (I wore my hair down and you really couldn’t see it. I’m sure Hubby would have wanted me to show it off for all the church ladies–maybe get himself a few extra high-fives in Elder’s Quorum or whatever…)
By the time I got home from church, I was laughing so hard. (Fortunately, I’d made the decision a long time ago not to let the funny old church ladies, etc., get to me. You just gotta laugh it off.) I don’t know that I was exactly spiritually uplifted, but I was most definitely entertained!!!
35 Responses to “Thoughtful and Thoughtless”
Oh my Lord, sometimes people can be so rude.
Mr B’s mum is in her late 70s and she says whatever she wants, pushes in queues and is so embarassing sometimes but she doesn’t give a fig (or any other dried fruit type stuff).
Sometimes I find it infuraiting but part of me thinks, yeah, I’m going to be like that when I’m older.
At least you laughed about it.
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JB, Or any other dried fruit type stuff? Hahaha.
The fact that you laughed about it is amazing. I think I would have been horrified not only by the clothing commentary (both spoken and unspoken) but by those women in RS.
Sometimes I really hope that I will be credited with not hauling off and smacking some people when they really and truly deserve smacking. (And, yeah, they did.)
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Carrie, hahaha. I’m sure we can erect a statue in your honor or something!
HAHAHA. OK that is all too funny. Seeing as how I know many of the people in that ward, it doesn’t surprise me one bit. And the HICKEY?? I’m dying over here. ROFLOL.
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Yeah, you do know a lot of people here. In fact, I ran into your ex-boyfriend’s family yesterday. His sister and I talked for a while as we chased our babies around and she was remarkably civil! And I’m glad you liked the hickey story. Hubby is seriously so thrilled with it.
Congratulations on another wonderful award! It was the leather and fishnet stockings that caught there attention? Just kidding
There is always some small group at church who really are not there for the right reasons. Glad you have the good sense to laugh it off.
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Yes, nothing works like leather and fishnets to earn one’s self a “thoughtful blogger” award.
I cannot believe that all of that happened to you in one day! Does this happen regularly? Do you need some people to find a new ward? That’s hilarious. Glad you can laugh it off! There’s no better way to cope with idiocy than to laugh at it!
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This week was particularly acute. All of this stuff happens all the time, just not usually all at once. It was a special day.
Wow, remind me not to move into your ward. I’d go home crying or mad every Sunday.
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I sorta thought every ward was this way! And I’ve wasted to much of my life crying or getting mad. I just choose not to now.
Every once in awhile I will be shocked by someone’s hypocrisy. Why go to religious studies if one is only there to be prideful and mean? There’s alot more to getting to eternal life than going to church…
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I know! Isn’t it funny? I really do feel bad for them, because they have no idea how ridiculous they sounded–acting like they “knew more” when they clearly knew nothing!
ah, church, no better place to go when looking for blog meme material - apparently!
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Haha. Indeed. Church ladies are always good fun.
I don’t know that I can comment upon the disaster of your church-going fun. Frankly, my eyes rolled so far up into the top of my head, I can hardly read what I am typing.
But the hickey? That was a deep gut blowing guffaw! Oh, my, if only the biddy hens in the hallway had seen….
BUT.
Thank you for the very very kind nod. That was so sweet of you to think of me, and your words have me feeling all floaty and glowy. You really are just too cool.
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I hope your eyes find a way to unroll themselves. I mean, you’ve got all that schmoozing to do.
Do we get bolder as we get older? cool
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Bolder and brattier and consistently confusing self-righteousness for righteousness. Yes, my friends, old age has its perks.
I love that you put a new spin on this as have others I’ve tagged. We gotta’ keep things from getting stale , right ?
I’m sure you looked hot. Regardless of what the old ladies said.
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Well, duh! Of course I looked hot! Haha. Thanks. And thanks for the tag. And sorry it took me so long to get to it!
Oh, that’s so nice of you to bring me these maternity shirts…say, your hair is looking EXTRA blue today. Back in my day, blue hair was only for the naughty rebellious boys. Funny how times change isn’t it??
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HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! BRILLIANT!!!!!!!
What do you think about having kids in Church–I mean real little kids and babies. I am Catholic (which means a lot of kids–kinda like Mormons:))–and of course, they fuss, and get absolutely nothing out of the Mass.
I don’t know if the Mormon Church does this, but I have been to Protestant churches where during the service they have Sunday school for those old enough and sometimes day care for those which are not (which I think is a lot nicer than the crying rooms where Moms are segregated kinda like women in an Islamic Mosque).
In my parish church I once tried to get something like this going without success.
~Becky
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Becky,
In our church, the first hour (of three) everyone is all together for “sacrament meeting” and then we split up for the last two hours–the kids are divided into age groups and go their way, the teenagers have their own stuff, and the adults go to their classes. It works out really well. The only problem is that kids’ classes are for 18 months and up. So I have to keep my baby with me during the last two hours. Hubby and i trade off taking him so that at least one of us can listen and then we come home and share notes.
I’m surprised that no one went for your idea! It seems like a great one!
Love the hickey thing. That is too funny. The maternity story has happened to me as well. All you can do is laugh it off.
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Oh yeah. Laughing is the only solution.
congrats to Jenn - couldn’t agree more!!
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I know! We should totally start a fan club, huh!
Ew. Ex boyfriend’s family. Ew. Hrrppbbb.
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I know, but honestly I was so astonished at how decent she was! Crazy, huh?
You are very thoughtful–you deserve that award!
I cannot beLEEEEVE your ward. Move to ours, where everyone is happy to see everyone else all the time.
LOVE the hickey action. My hubby long-distance-high-fives yours.
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Haha. Thus says the Bishop’s wife.
I told the missionaries to quit judging me because of my tattoo and that I wasn’t really into their church.
Scared the poop out of them.
Then someone told them who I really was.
The ward troublemaker.
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HAHAHA. Yeah, see. You’re just the kind of member that used to terrify me as a missionary! I knew a few like you, ya little stinker.
Congratulations! What is up with all the mean old church ladies?
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Thanks! And, well, I suppose mean old ladies have to congregate SOMEWHERE, right? Why not in the hallways of my church building?
Oh my! I guess these ladies have never been taught the old adage–if you don’t have anything nice to say keep it to yourself. LOL I wouldn’t think this type of behavior goes on in church, thanks for the insight.
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Oh, yeah. Super. Now I’ve just made it sound like church is nothing but bickering old meanies. There IS a little more to it, you know…
Boy I am glad I live in a ward where most everyone is nice. I have a hard time not saying anything when people are stupid, so I probably wouldn’t do well in your ward.
hmm reading this you make me almost glad that in catholic european churches, people just walk in silently for the church service and then leave again afterwards without too much interaction :p. They might think a lot of my clothes, but they can’t tell me. Hihi.
But yes, I am sure that there is more in your church than just bickering old meanies.
funny post though…I hoped by after reading nice things about your blog at Jenn in Holland
Great attitude toward the naysayers. I can’t imagine having a small child in arms reach constantly unless in a pool. I can’t imagine running into so many know-it-all older ladies in one day. I guess they feel it their right to teach the young. Good post.
It was a *special* day, huh? hahaha, you crack me up!
That’s funny about the old ladies. They just like to complain. The ones I know generally say that parents nowadays spend too much time worrying about their kids and coddling them! Some old bitties will never be happy.
And…hickey…ew. The Man tried to give me one once and it was gross. “Okay, so you’re sucking my blood up to skin level? oh! Okay, go ahead, baby!”
But I’m a prude. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
You handled it better than I would have! Good for you for laughing it off.
Way to be able to laugh it all off. I’d be sorely tempted to pull one of those lady’s lips over her head.
Unbelievable! Are you sure this wasn’t written in response to a challenge where you were supposed to use the words hickey, repentance, maternity, and “spiritually uplifted” all in a single story? Congrats on the very well-deserved award!
Well, one thing is certain, old church ladies are old church ladies… it doesn’t matter if you are LDS, Roman Catholic, Lutheran like me, or any other denomination.
WTG on the award, you definitely deserve it. As far as the mean ol ladies at your church…my best friend always tells me something that comes to mind now… “just look em straight in the eye and smile slightly…it will scare them because they will wonder what you are plotting….” lmao.
Thanks for the giggles.
I know that we can be friend now! I love ‘rehashing’ church afterwards because of some of the crazy things that happen. F&T meetings are the best for that.
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