Thursday, December 30, 2004
Bah humbug
What a boring event it was. Hairdresser yesterday: " Have you had a good Christmas?" Me: " A bit quiet really...." I dread the question. How do you answer without sounding as though you are whinging?
Daughter stayed in her room all day, only surfacing for food. Son stayed in his room all day, only surfacing for food. Husband stayed in sitting room all day, watching boring telly. I stayed in study all day, playing Repton. Even the alcohol didn't come out until late afternoon.
In fact, the whole holiday has been pretty much like this. No parties, no pubmeets, nothing social at all. Boring. The highlight was the work Christmas night out.
I watched Grumpy Old Women on telly and thought they were pathetic! Call that grumpy? They should ask me next time!
Trouble is, despite having 7 siblings between us, husband and I don't get together with any family at all over the festive season. Four of the seven live abroad, and the other three live between 200 and 400 miles away, all with their own partners' family circles to have jolly happy get-togethers, and nobody wants us.
We have no family friends to get together with: nobody to invite or be invited by. And telly seemed to be nothing but films I didn't want to watch. Truly, the best thing I watched on telly was the Queen's speech!! I began to wish I had joined the communal Christmas Lunch for the lonely at the United Reformed church - either as a lonely person or a helper.
Next year I am going to Thailand. It's a bit more exciting there!
Daughter stayed in her room all day, only surfacing for food. Son stayed in his room all day, only surfacing for food. Husband stayed in sitting room all day, watching boring telly. I stayed in study all day, playing Repton. Even the alcohol didn't come out until late afternoon.
In fact, the whole holiday has been pretty much like this. No parties, no pubmeets, nothing social at all. Boring. The highlight was the work Christmas night out.
I watched Grumpy Old Women on telly and thought they were pathetic! Call that grumpy? They should ask me next time!
Trouble is, despite having 7 siblings between us, husband and I don't get together with any family at all over the festive season. Four of the seven live abroad, and the other three live between 200 and 400 miles away, all with their own partners' family circles to have jolly happy get-togethers, and nobody wants us.
We have no family friends to get together with: nobody to invite or be invited by. And telly seemed to be nothing but films I didn't want to watch. Truly, the best thing I watched on telly was the Queen's speech!! I began to wish I had joined the communal Christmas Lunch for the lonely at the United Reformed church - either as a lonely person or a helper.
Next year I am going to Thailand. It's a bit more exciting there!
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Outraged
I don't know where to start.
I feel so angry about a complaint and verbal assault that flared up because I told a child off for not doing what he should be doing, and for preventing me and the rest of the school from continuing with what we should have been doing.
The mother of the child was present - I did not know her or her child. She didn't like the way I told him off and the fact that it was in front of the whole school. I don't think I did anything wrong - neither do my colleagues who were present.
The mother and father came into my classroom, shouting, threatening and waving arms about, with most of my class present. It took a week for the head to speak to them about it. In the meantime, he told me they had made complaints to the governors.
What makes me most angry is the lack of support and protection from him. My colleagues were great but he was just cold and impartial.
I feel so angry about a complaint and verbal assault that flared up because I told a child off for not doing what he should be doing, and for preventing me and the rest of the school from continuing with what we should have been doing.
The mother of the child was present - I did not know her or her child. She didn't like the way I told him off and the fact that it was in front of the whole school. I don't think I did anything wrong - neither do my colleagues who were present.
The mother and father came into my classroom, shouting, threatening and waving arms about, with most of my class present. It took a week for the head to speak to them about it. In the meantime, he told me they had made complaints to the governors.
What makes me most angry is the lack of support and protection from him. My colleagues were great but he was just cold and impartial.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Looking back.....
3 days off sick ... and looking forward to many more!
And it's the best time of year, too! The week before we break up for Christmas. The music teacher off sick! That'll show them I play a vital role in the school community. Well, the piano, anyway.
So why am I looking back? Well over the year, I have had many more downs than ups, and the final crisis that sent me off to the doctor for an extra holiday had me thinking about all the blows to my self-esteem that led me to the thought that my life is an absolute failure.
And it's the best time of year, too! The week before we break up for Christmas. The music teacher off sick! That'll show them I play a vital role in the school community. Well, the piano, anyway.
So why am I looking back? Well over the year, I have had many more downs than ups, and the final crisis that sent me off to the doctor for an extra holiday had me thinking about all the blows to my self-esteem that led me to the thought that my life is an absolute failure.
