The Child Within

You know when you're doing it, but you can't help yourself. The impulsive, bratty child within you overwhelms your more reasonable, logical, mature adult. Besides, it feels so good. Well, at least it does while you're doing it. But then later, when Hindsight presents you with a look back, you can see clearly that maybe you should have counted to ten first and then proceeded cautiously in order to avoid the unpleasant affect that you caused.  But nooooo... you had to go there, didn't you? You had to light the match to the fireworks.

Oh, there are so many reasons why, let me count the ways: You've been wronged; you've had a bad day; it was a knee-jerk reaction; it's the seething, deep-seated irritation and/or anger that lies within; you're a jerk. Those are the five reasons I use. What's your reason? Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot who I was writing to. You always treat everyone with the highest regard. You would never treat others poorly. The adult within you has complete control over your obstreperous inner child, and the moment that child begins to misbehave, you just pull that switch down from top the refrigerator and beat the snoot out of that damn rug rat. Wait a minute! That doesn't sound right.

When I worked at a company formerly known as RCA, one of my co-worker friends--a friend at the office only--was considered one of the kindness, nicest, most accommodating employees in our department.  Occasionally we would go to lunch together, and this would be the opportunity Suze used to complain about her husband. Oh, he was a really good guy, she said, but he irritated the daylight out of her. And she was mean to him, she confided. Really mean. She knew when she was treating him with disrespect, but she couldn't help herself. It just felt soooo good, she said. Really, Suze? Are you serious? I think you should beat the crap out of the child within you, tie her to a telephone pole and let squirrels nibble on her until she expires. Wait a minute! That doesn't sound right.

It's the cause and affect of disrespect that I object to. What does that mean, you ask? Well, I don't really know. It just sounded good. "It's the cause and affect of disrespect that I object to." It has a nice ring to it and it rhymes, too.  Actually, as I sit here staring at my computer, drinking my first cup of coffee, and contemplating what "It's the cause and affect of disrespect that I object to." means, it's coming to me.

When you--not you personally but you as everyone else but you--choose (yes, it's a choice) to treat other people with disrespect, your actions are the impetus, the cause that puts into play negative (never positive) responses such as hurt, discomfort, pain, suffering, resentment, and anger. And, it's all because you--not you personally; everyone knows your treatment of others is exemplary--can't get that spoiled rotten child within you under control. If reasoning with your child doesn't work, just bend her over the arm of the couch, pull her pants down, whoop her bare butt with a paddle while yelling "SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE CHILD! GOD SAVE THIS CHILD FROM THE DEVIL!" Wait a minute! That doesn't sound right, so, what I just said above... never mind.