I have spent many years surrounded by people and their drama. It sucks you in and you find yourself swimming in this constant stream of chaos where you never know when the next crisis is going to arise.
Drama on the job:
I worked in a government call centre for eight years. We were each in a little cubicle (jail cell) attached to a phone by a headset and cord (think of the Matrix and you're not far off!) and locked into a regimented time sheet. That didn't stop the bitching and back biting and gossiping and drama from having it's sway. There was never a day that passed without someone crying or complaining or going home for a "mental stress leave" day. So many women in such a small area all vying for airspace was just a soup of issues and angst.
Fast forward to the last job I was in (again for eight years - that must be the magic number of how long I can put up with crap for before I do a runner!) I only worked with half a dozen people in total and yet still managed to have a boss who thought he was a god and his assistant who thought the world revolved around her and the Practice Manager who loved being part of all the theatrics that ensued. I'm not sure how some people get through life having the assumption that the world owes them a free ride. Everything is about them and their needs and heaven help the rest of us if those needs are ignored or not met when expected.
Drama on Facebook:
Then there's the facebook posters who have something to "share" with the rest of us regularly about how they have been hard done by, how they haven't received what they believe they're entitled to, how the government hasn't met their expectations, how they know everything and the rest of us have it wrong etc etc. I am so tired of all their issues and their whinging - my "unfollow" button has been used several times recently because I just don't need to know about their latest litany of complaints.
What I'm Learning:
One big lesson that midlife is teaching me is that I don't need to be a part of these people's lives. I don't need their drama and their "Me Me Me" attitude. I don't need to worry about upsetting them or offending them or not catering to their whims. Life should be smoother than that. Life should be about getting along together, putting other people's needs in front of your own - and knowing what a need is compared to an expectation that life owes you lollipops and fairy floss. It's about being kind to each other and giving grace and the benefit of the doubt.
My aim for the years ahead is to give the drama queens (and kings) a wide berth. If my radar goes off because negativity and dramatics are happening in my near vicinity, then I intend to move along as fast as I can in the opposite direction. I want to have a full and rich life that embraces acceptance and sharing the journey. There are so many fabulous people out there who are looking for the same thing - I want to spend time with those people and grow into a better person because of it. I want to be part of the lives of people I admire and who are making the world a better place - that has to have the added benefit of making me a nicer person just by association!
Hear, hear! I have enough of my own drama. I don't need to be sucked into other people's!
ReplyDeletemy sentiments exactly Jennifer :)
DeleteI'm right behind you, Leanne, running from the self-centered, glass half-empty people.
ReplyDeleteyep me too Brenda - I just can't generate the energy to deal with it all anymore!
DeleteAs a talk show host, I interview people who have overcome all the tragedy and drama that life offered them and have become successful in a variety of arenas. As my FIL would say, I'm not complaining - just reporting. The reality of life is that we will all have drama in our lives, it is how we 'share' it, deal with it and learn from it that makes us grow.
ReplyDeleteThat is so true Carol - I find that the people who have gone through the most trauma and drama are usually the most centred and "non-dramatic" people to know. They've been through tough times and they don't sweat the small stuff that gets the drama queens all riled up.
DeleteI try very hard to keep the drama out of my life. Easier in some areas than others. Unfortunately, my extended family is high drama, so I'm stuck with that!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean Lana - there is always someone who wants to bring the drama - I just don't want to invest any more energy than I need to in it :)
DeleteI had a week of drams's last week - FB book groups, etc - and I attracted more of the same , love the block feature :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Julie - thanks for coming by and reading - I'm a bit over all the fb drama that gets served up - a little now and then is okay but my "unfollow" button gets used more often these days!
DeleteTotally agree with this! Drama needs to go somewhere else and let us have some quiet peace and enjoyment :)
ReplyDelete#AnythingGoes
Exactly Julie - I am becoming a big fan of 'live and let live" and minding your own business :)
DeleteIt's amazing how little I know about what's going on at the office as I get older. I don't have patience for the drama queens either. Thanks for sharing your wisdom at the #AnythingGoes Link Party.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandy - I'm the same in my new job - I don't want to know any more personal stuff than I have to - I'm leaving that to the people that thrive on it :)
DeleteI'm with you on this one Leanne. Life is too short for 'poor me'. thanks for sharing with us at #WednesdaysWisdom.
ReplyDeleteWe have so much in common it's so funny to think we live completely around the world from one another. I woked for our government for many years and it's exactly the same atmosphere here. I worked there until our World Trade Center attack and my husband begged me to quit and I did. Well, actually I just swiched to another government job as a mail carrier.
ReplyDeleteI love that we can find similar souls through blogging - and I'm VERY glad you didn't get blown up by terrorists!
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