I hate dealing with my family. Months ago, my cousin sent me an email that really hurt me. At the same time, she and my aunt have been helping me pay a couple of bills. Every time I'd talk to them about something I was having difficulty with, I'd get criticized, and it made me feel like dirt. Now, months later, they say I hurt them because I won't share what's going on with me or what I'm thinking? What?!
I've been trying to talk about only positive stuff, because I didn't need them to make me feel crappy about myself, thank you very much. And, admittedly, I haven't talked to them as much. And you know what? I've been a lot happier, and I've been moving forward with my life. I'm just not doing what they want me to do. Why am I the bad guy here? My cousin came across as angry in that email, and I was dealing with major depression at the time- no understanding of that, at all. It's a mental illness! I can't just decide not to be depressed!
You hurt me- I withdraw. Simple. But now I feel guilty because it's "family". I talked to my friend yesterday, and told her this is the same family who didn't bother to get in touch with me when my mom died. I hadn't heard from my cousin in 15 years.
My friend said,"Do you know what I'd tell them? 'Damned if I do, damned if I don't' Because that's what it sounds like you're feeling."
Exactly.
I wrote this in an email to a friend. It's something I encountered today. I thought I'd copy it here.
The academic advisor left me a message saying she'd penciled me in for March 5th. I remembered someone at the school saying the schedule came out sometime in March, and that I should wait until then to see her. So I called the school and asked them about it.
I said, "Hello. I'm a new student, looking to start in summer, and I spoke to someone there who had told me the schedule would be coming out March something. Can you tell me when that is, so I can make an appointment to meet with an academic advisor?"
The woman said,"We advise you to wait until the schedule comes out to see the academic advisor"
I said, "I know, I need to know when that is."
She said, "In a month or so. You should wait until the schedule comes out to talk to the academic advisor."
I said, "Yes, I know, I need to know when to make the appointment."
She said, "We can't tell you that."
I said, "I need to have some idea when to make the appointment."
She said, "That is why we advise you to wait until the schedule comes out to make an appointment."
I said, "I know, but I need to have some idea of when that will be. You don't know when your schedule is coming out?"
She said, "No. You should just keep checking online. I can tell you how to do that if you want."
I said,"I have to request a day off work so I can meet with the advisor. I need to have some idea when that will be, so I can request the day off three weeks ahead of time. You have no idea when your schedule will be coming out?"
She said, "Well, it usually comes out the second or third week of March. We're still working on it."
Holy crap! Why didn't she just say that? If I wait until the schedule comes out to request a day off, I might not be able to see an advisor until after classes start. Too late! Ugh! It's like her brain was programmed to say certain things, and that's it. Even a vague idea helps me, because then I can ask for a day off in the third week , or even at the end of the third week in March, and it may actually work out. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to schedule something a few days to a week in advance.
*sigh*
They scheduled me until 5:00 Monday. My availability is 4:00, which means they either ignored it, or someone changed it without telling me. I have rehearsal Monday nights. They know this. It's been this way for months.
I finally start playing again, I have a little enjoyment in my life, something to work for besides work, and they're going to take it away from me? They work around everyone else- kids, school, family- but not me? I'm not allowed to be fully human and actually have even something that vaguely resembles a life outside of work?
I do something to improve my situation- something to help with the depression, and something which helps me to function better overall, and they're going to take it away? It's a reason to keep living. Just working for not enough to eat, and not enough to pay all my bills isn't.
I hope this is some kind of stupid mistake. The manager who does the schedule does this a lot to people. I hope they let me go.
I hate this. I hate feeling that no matter what I do, things aren't going to get better.
In the meantime, I did get the grant, but I have to find out about the loan, and I need to talk to an academic advisor first. I have to schedule a day three weeks ahead of time, request it off, and hope I get it. I'm just afraid that no matter what I do, I'll just end up right back in this job, or one like it, when all is said and done.
Sometimes, I just have to cry. and I did. Great big sobs full of pain, and regret. Why didn't I do this? Why didn't I do that? Because I didn't know, that's why. Then I got angry, and I got up and practiced, swollen eyes and all.
I am not going to let them take this from me! Not the music, and not my opportunity to go back to school.
I am tired of this.
We're going to be doing Carmina Burana.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD3VsesSBsw
Dramatic!
I'm thinking about things I shouldn't be thinking about.
COMMENTS
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xRosex
06:12 Mar 02 2014
Sounds like you need a vacation and a new set of family. People can be so inconsiderate. I hope things get better for you.
NLW
18:08 Mar 02 2014
Thanks. My friend Eadie says, "We are your family. Friends are the family you choose."
I may have to cut ties with my relatives. I appreciate the help they've given me, but I never asked for it, and I certainly never asked for the negativity attached to it. My friends have done even more for me (as I have for them when I was in a better situation, years ago) and they don't do this to me.
Maybe once I get things out of their hands, which I'm still working on, the situation will improve, but they were this way before they started helping me so I doubt it. I probably should have said, "No." when they offered help, but I was really struggling-even more than I am now- at the time. Oh well.