I just need to vent

and get all of my defensiveness out here.

Today while I was on my way to fetch a child from class for tutoring, I passed a teacher who had wrenched her back, who was in horrible pain, and who was being lowered into a chair. With her were two other teachers--one older and female, one youngish and male. I stopped and expressed my concern, figured out what had happened (she had messed up her back a little bit earlier, and then had tried to push two fighting kids apart and has seriously wrenched it, or it had gone into spasm), and offered to get her some ice from the cafeteria. No one responded, so I waited a moment and offered again. At this point the older woman rounded on me and asked, in an extremely aggressive and malicious fashion, "Do you have a medical degree?" I do not have a medical degree, though I could have done. She also said something about how ice would do nothing in a situation like this and asked something like why I thought I was qualified to offer advice. I, dumbfounded by this wave of disdain, gave the most relevant and least impressive answer--that my mother is a massage therapist. Had she actually been looking for information, she might have realized that massage therapists deal with muscular issues such as this one; but as she was not looking for information, and rather was bullying, she stayed nasty and said "well that's nice," and informed me that I was not a Richmond City Public Schools medical personnel, and thus had nothing to say on the matter.

Now, I am aware of the fact that I look like a student, but no one should be treated in this fashion, particularly if he or she is offering assistance. She could have asked me to leave or told me that the situation was under control. She could have sent me off for ice and then refrained from using it, if she just wanted me to leave. But no. She attacked.

Had I been less stunned and had I thought more carefully, I might have given the more impressive answer, though it probably wouldn't have made a difference in that kind of verbal and emotional assault. "Well, ma'am, I have been trained in advanced first aid in addition to first aid. I am also a lifeguard." (I am also certified in CPRO, AED and WSI, but these are obviously less relevant.) I might have explained that when a person's muscles go into spasm, what they need is to relax, and what a doctor will prescribe is a combination of muscle relaxants, hot compresses, and cold compresses. Hot compresses aren't available in a high school hallway in any case, but ice will at the very least numb the pain and act as a placebo, if nothing else. And in case you aren't aware, the placebo effect can be a very powerful thing. What actually doesn't help is lowering a person into a chair, hovering over them, bitching at anyone who tries to help, and repeatedly telling the injured party that you told her she shouldn't try to do that stuff she just did that fucked up her back. Weird, I know.


I wanted to speak to this woman (I don't know her name) about our little confrontation, but I couldn't think of a way to bring it up that wouldn't lead to immediate escalation and a scene. All I could think of to say was "I don't appreciate your attitude," which would obviously have been unhelpful. I probably won't end up saying anything, but if I do, I think it may be more along the lines of "why would you speak to me that way?"

Today, continued! (!!!)

Physical feelings of not-that-awesomeness have continued not-quite unabated throughout the day, but it's been handle-able. (Plethora of hyphens! I love the hyphenation phenomenon. The beautifully infinite possibilities of hyphenation.)

Sort of the way I love the (maybe?) social acceptability of my fastandloose interpretations of punctuation and spelling and, sometimes, grammar. (This is not to say that I will not almost unabashedly judge a habitually offending misuser of punctuation and grammar and spelling--one who misuses just because, rather than for any sort of effect. These abusers earn my righteous ire.)

I forgot my book when I went to work today, which made the day take a lot longer. But it also took longer because I was busy having a four and a half hour text message battle with some camper (?) who evidently has no life and too many snow days, and claimed to be named Beth (though there are no campers named Beth) and to be "a little older" than myself, and to know me, no, not to know me, no, to know "Chole," no, to be a stranger secretly using her friend's phone, etc. For a while it was entertaining, but by the end I just wanted to curse at her/him?/wtf ever.

ALSO, I'm not sure I mentioned this earlier--I'm interviewing for a second job on Monday, teaching swim lessons (and/or possibly life guarding)! Very exciting. PLUS, I have discovered that this job is at the very same gym ("jim," as John, who I ohsomissverymuch, would say) that is close to my house and which I have lately wished to join. (They have massages!) So hopefully I'll get hired and I'll get a free membership and I'll get discounts on things. (Read: discounts on massages.)
They also have an outdoor water park. Zomg.

Chloe came home tonight, as she does sometimes, upset about things that seem complicated. The gist of it is generally that she doesn't understand that she is awesome--she instead thinks that she is decidedly not-awesome, and she apologizes for things, and she worries that at any moment she may say something unintentionally revealing, and people will realize that she is insane, and the jig will be up, and no one will like her anymore or ever again.

Don't you miss highschool?

Anyway it makes me very sad, particularly considering how she is, objectively speaking, rather amazing, talented, smart, and wonderful. Not to mention good at stuff.

So if you pray or send positive thoughts/energy/what have you, please do so toward/for my lovely little sister Chole/Chloe/Cleo/[thousands of other alternate spellings/nicknames].
(Plethora of slashes! How I love the simple one-stroke conjunction/option-type thing.)


Have I ever mentioned how unhelpful it is for me to become mentally hyperactive right around bedtime? Also, how strange (I want to say disheartening, because it's so much more mellifluous and dramatic, but it isn't actually true. Or maybe it is a little) it is that this is now occurring at 11 pm, rather than 2 am, as it used?
What is happening to my youth???