Tuesday, January 10, 2006

not everyone likes me

Amazing, I know! Obviously, if they really KNEW me, they couldn't help but like me. Alas, not everyone knows me as well as you do, gentle reader.

I messed up clerically here in the office and the mother of the child affected by the clerical error was most displeased when she was in my office last night. And she was most displeased with the catechist who teaches her son. I won't get into the details here in case I get "googled," but the clerical error should not have happened. I apologized, gave the the phone number at the Catechetical Office at the Archdiocese and she left not as angry as she was when we first met, though still pretty steamed. I think, however, that she may have blown the entire incident slightly out of proportion. I think I surprised her by not trying to make excuses and by giving her phone numbers of high up people she could call.

I don't know why I'm still so rattled. I slept well. But I can't stop thinking about her. I guess it's not easy to shake it off when someone has been screaming at you for 45 minutes straight. I guess what is bothering me is mostly the charge she leveled at me: "Why should we care if you don't? Why should my kid take this seriously if you don't?" I neglected to change one thing in the computer. She made it personal. And now I'm sitting back at the desk where all the ugliness came out. No wonder I can't stop pondering it.

I have resigned myself to the fact that in this ministry I am going to get screamed at like this at least once a year. Once every year for the last 3 years, some parent has gotten really ticked off at me for something-usually something stupid. As long as I don't get another one this year, I'll be OK. No, even if I do get another one this year, I'll be OK.

Pray for me. Pray for her. If she takes her kid out of our program-fine. If she leaves him here and gets all apathetic-fine. All I can do is my best and resolve to try not to make stupid mistakes anymore.

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