Listening: Do you know how?

I used to fear speaking up for whatever I stood for, or telling someone how I felt about something they had said that may have offended me. Perfect example: Yesterday, I had a small accident with my school bus. Embarassing as I feel about telling this story, I have a point to make.

Most people would react by saying: “Oh my , Are you alright? Are their children with you, are they fine?” RIGHT? Well, when the safety officer arrived on the scene, she never once acknowledged ME, never took any regard for the way I was feeling right in that moment. Her thoughts were totally focused on the bus, and where it was sitting; IN THE DITCH. I sat here last night thinking, how could this woman work for a company totally based on the safety of children and drivers and not even once ask me if I was ok. I could be one of these people that hides their feelings very well, I could have been in shock, or just plain upset that I was an idiot for going in the ditch.

However, this morning I face a review and I thought to myself, instead of letting it eat at me, I will speak up and let her know how I feel. I realize it was a preventable accident, however, my feelings are not preventable. I was for the most part very upset and angry at myself for not evaluating the situation better and felt very stupid for putting myself in the ditch. The least she could have done was acknowledge me.

Moral is, whether it’s an intimate relationship with another person, or a coworker, or a family member or even a friend, never stop yourself from speaking out your feelings. If someone puts you down, tell them how you feel; if someone is hurting you, tell them how you feel; and if no one even acknowledges your feelings for doing a great job, then speak out to someone who will understand.

I want to thank those (Ben, My Stepmom, Amanda) who were there to listen to me yesterday. I appreciate the time they took to acknowledge and listen to my frustrations.

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