Too close for comfort

I have come to find that we all seem to have someone who we are inevitably close to, whom we must spend regular time with, and who drives us completely crazy. This might be a friend, co-worker, family member, etc.

This person sometimes is wrapped in a all-too-kind packaging. They seem sincere and gentile, but are hiding a secret that they might not even know that they have. This person's introduction to another is truly an unexpected "surprise": like a tornado on a sunny springtime day, poo on your shoe after walking through lush grass, or a laugh that produces cola through your nose.

Others of these sort do not hide their B.S. at all. Many times, they give a boastful distaste, hiding a smile under a frown no matter the occasion. Most of the time they are genuinely pleased by the sourness of themselves.

We often wish to confront this particular person about whatever it is that bothers us. Well, much to my expectations, these confrontations never go too productively.

Then their is you (i.e. me), who is too determined (hard-headed) to not contribute to the possible eradication of the bothersome quality or tendency. You attempt to talk openly, honestly, and respectfully to this person. You try to sneak in the negative with a sugar-coated menagerie of compliments and distractions.

So, what happens you ask? Well, one of two things: Either the sugar coating is peeled into a heap and ONLY the pursecutory nature of the discussion is completely highlighted, distracting the content into a hard-iron defense of momentous proportion. OR, the person is too oblivious to even notice the implications at all.

Personally, I prefer oblivion to the "turn-around". The turn-around is when you are then attacked and caught completely off-guard. The discussion is NO longer about the intended, but is now transfered into the criticization of you, leading to full-out list of all the wrongs you have personally performed for the entire duration of your lifespan.

So, what is my methodology for this sort of unresolved issue, you ask? (We all have our own techniques, please feel free to leave yours in the comment section below). It is very simple: RETREAT!! The behavior probably isn't going to change, despite any best efforts.

My personal procedure is to give them my best cheesy smiled, puppy dog-eyed face, and closed body-language stance, especially when meeting unexpectedly. I MUST groan to myself in order to eliminate some of the mental combustion. Then, I avoid them as much as possible, and I deal utterly and completely with whatever it is that drives me crazy. In other words, this is NO solution at all. I basically tuck my tail and run, leaving myself at the beginning of where I started---full circle.

So, when I get a chesire cat kind of smile, I can't help but wonder...Am I the ONE? And, are we ALL the ONE to somebody? Wouldn't that make the masses SO much easier to tolerate, if we knew with certainty that we all were that ONE? I mean, to me (and you might very appropriately refer to me as facetious), it makes having to deal a little easier when I know someone else has to deal with me :)