Week-1 exercise 14

Sunday, May 17, 2009
I imagine Lisa as someone that doesn't take no for an answer. She is manipulative and just plain mean, although she can appear as the essence of kindness. She will be nice to a friend when in her company but complain about her to other friends. If confronted, she will deny doing such a thing and convince you that it must be the other person causing the problem.She probably married a wonderful man that thinks she is perfect. Her step-children however are painfully aware of the reality of her demeaning and demanding personality. She treats them as second rate and expects them to do more than their share of household responsibilities. In front of her husband, she is always careful to treat everyone in the most appropriate manner leaving her husband to wonder why anyone would take issue with her. If the children try to tell their father of her cruelty, they are not believed and she makes life more miserable. She can switch from the nastiest tone to the voice of a songbird in an instant with the answering of a ringing phone.

Of course her house is always presentable because she demands it of the children, although it is never good enough. The child she shares with her husband of course is not submitted to the same treatment. She only wears the finest clothes her credit cards will allow, which means the majority of her wardrobe is actually knockoffs. Her closet is organized and uncluttered. She is a master of returning items she no longer wants, usually well past the deadline. The manager of the store will usually give in to her demands to avoid the inevitable and familiar scene. She can't tolerate those that smoke. You can always find her with an assortment of gum and mints in the only authentic designer case she owns which is reserved solely to hold her minty treasures. She is quick to share her treats, reinforcing her obvious facade believing that it impresses.

She rarely drives the sporting equipment filled van. She prefers her regularly detailed used Mercedes. It is old but not a previously popular model. No matter though as just the name is of importance and she always refers to it as "the Mercedes".Her fake nails are always manicured to a gaudy perfection which gives her a self-believable justification for not being able to perform any duty she finds distasteful.

(I can't do exercise 27 yet) I look forward to seeing how this character develops. I do not know anyone quite like this although I have experienced many of the feeling she invokes in others I think.

# posted by mindyrosin @ 11:17 PM 3 Comments

Hello fellow classmates, and Ray,I am experiencing some problems with having the wrong edition of our book. I will remedy that tomorrow. In the meantime, I wanted to add something here at least.

The "Character" I remember that made quite an impact on me was a little girl in my first grade class. I don't remember her name, so I will call her Lisa. I painfully remember the incident of impact vividly.It was recess and I was playing "Star Trek" on the Monkey Bars with the boys (Yes it was the 60s). She came over and wanted me to play Hopscotch with her. I said no. I didn't know how to play that game. She insisted. She grabbed me and was holding me with her arms wrapped firmly around me and wouldn't let go. I told her to let go and she didn't. I then warned her to let go, telling her that if she didn't, I would bite her! She didn't, I did, bite her that is.Back in the dark ages of the 60s, it was commonplace for a disobedient child to get a swat from a teacher or the Principal if it was really serious. Well this was big time serious because not only was I sent to the office to receive my swat from the Principle, but I also earned a visit with the psychologist too. What a deal. I obviously was not believed and she was. It's difficult to prove that you don't know how to play a game.I felt so helpless. There was nothing to be done, power is limited in the first grade.

This stayed with me until I was able to redeem myself, completely by chance. I was attending the graduation of a younger friend of our family when I actually ran into my old Principal! It must have been 12+ years. Although I was sure she wouldn't remember, or care for that matter, I was eager to make her aware of the injustice I experienced at such a tender and impressionable age. She apologized with an aire of indifference but it didn't matter. I was heard.Perhaps this contributed to my strong need to be heard as an adult. I know there were many other events that added to this but it was an awful feeling to be accused and convicted of a crime not committed.