To Fake or Not to Fake....That is the Question

My husband called last night and we ended on a discussion we have had many times throughout our 25 years together.  You see, I can't fake it.

Now some of you pervs out there are thinking something else, but I'm talking about faking-it when it comes to friends, neighbours and people in general.  When it comes to people, my husband is the king of fake.  I on the otherhand am polite and nice, but if I don't like you you pretty well know it.

Just before my husband left for out of town this last time, our neighbour stopped by.  She and her husband are beyond annoying and I can't stand either one of them.  I wave if we drive by each other, I say hi if we end up at the mailboxes together, but other than that I don't want anything to do with the people.  Let's just say they are known as the neighbourhood gossips and that doesn't sit right with me.  Gregg loves stuff like that.  Give him the dirt and he's in heaven.

So she knocks on the door and my husband lets her in.  The dog has a bad habit of jumping on people and we've been working on it like you can't even imagine to get him to stay down.  She leans over and says to Mushu "MEESHA JUMP UP, JUMP UP AND SEE ME!"  And Gregg smacks the dog for jumping up.  She tells Gregg it's ok and Meesha's just happy to see her and calls Mushu to jump up again.  Gregg smacks him again.  Now Gregg's a big man, his smacks aren't light taps.  I'm standing at the top of the stairs getting mad at a scenario that has been played out time and time again with her.  We say don't let the dog jump up, she encourages him to do so.  He gets smacked from Gregg.  She gnores Gregg again and leans down to Mushu and tells him to jump up so she can pet him again.  "Listen"  I say.  "I don't mean to be rude, but we CANNOT have Mushu jumping up on people.  Gregg's parents come over, who don't care for animals, and Mushu jumps up on them and we feel bad.  Everytime you encourage him to jump up, it takes all our hard work and throws it out the window.  Please do not encourage him to jump up anymore, and then Gregg won't hit him anymore."  She stood there and stared at me.  And I stood there with one eyebrow raised and stared back.

Awkward.  Yes.  But do I give two shits.  Not on your life.  You are in my house and if I say I don't want my dog jumping up then I don't want my dog jumping up.  I don't give two hoots if you agree with it or not, the dog stays down.  Gregg on the otherhand would rather slap the dog then tell this lady to stop it.

For the record here.....Gregg can't stand these neighbours either.  And this is what we agree to disagree on.

Gregg will make a point to stand there and talk to these neighbours....and every other person he comes across.  They leave, and then he will talk about them and say how much he doesn't like them.  I on the otherhand will say hi to people, but keep on trucking.  No standing around talking, no chit chat, just a simple hi to be polite and go on my way.  Gregg thinks I'm being rude.  I think he's being fake, and in a sense, rude.  We will never agree on this subject and that's ok, and of course there's no right or wrong when it comes to this.  Just two people's opinions....who have to live together.

Gregg says when he dies he will have a ton of people at his funeral because he took the time to talk to everyone.  Uh huh.  But I tell him GOD knows how fake he's been to those people and the names he's called them when they walk away.  He says he doesn't care because all that matters is at his funeral all those people will hear what a great guy he was.  Gregg....here lies the 'good guy'.

Now I'm not having a funeral when my time comes but if I were to have one, I wonder what would be said about me.  Here lies Joy....the miserable old bag......LOL

Comments

[Radioactive Jam]

Here lies Joy - "What you see is what you get."

Although since you're talking funeral I suppose it's more like, what you saw...

[Debbie]

You're not having a funeral?

[Joy T.]

I like! What you saw was what you got. I like that a lot :o)

No Debbie, no funeral for me thank you very much.

[sher]

Good for you--telling her that. I have neighbors like that and I do not want to waste my time having a fake relationship with people I can't stand!

[Sirdar]

I'm probably more like Gregg....my wife is more like you. And on that note......

[Lee]

I totally agree about people following your rules with your animals. I would be the type to tell you that I am not upset that the dog jumped on me, so as not to have you feel badly. But I would then tell the dog "NO" the next time he tried to jump. I had someone who fed a kitten from their plate in my home, a kitten that we had been working on teaching NOT to try to get food off our plates! It made our life and her life miserable for the next few days at minimum. Thanks for the lovely post about the buddha package!

[Penney]

Your post brought a thought to mind, at my Grams funeral the minister caller her "crusty" i laughed so hard i almost peed my pants. That was the perfect description of her.