Car Doors (and other things that SLAM)

Papa Ridgeback has an interesting post today about men and relationships (SLAM!). Lots of true things there. You should check it out.

Speaking of slamming doors.. I have been thinking about my niece S lately and her apparent lack of self respect (at the risk of being overly cryptic, those who need to know, know what I'm referring to here).. and my sister's and my own obvious lack of self respect in our younger days (That's a whole 'nother post by itself!). I really do think it comes down to two things: 1) No father at home, and 2) our Extremely Strange, Unusual, Weird, and Otherworldly Upbringing.

For example.. I can remember when I was about 8 or 9 years old, going door to door preaching with a certain uncle-by-marriage. We'll call him Frag. Anyway there was a whole group of us, but I went to the door with Frag for some reason. We were driving one of those late-70s-early-80s type cars with the doors that weigh approximately 4 tons each, with the handles that needed a jack and a sledge hammer to lift. Because of my experience with this car already that day, I waited for Frag to open the door... BAD IDEA.

His words are seared into my brain to this day: "Who do you think you are, some kind of little Princess? Waiting to have the door opened for you! What a spoiled little brat! What makes you think that somebody should open the door for you, ever??"

Of course, this is the same uncle who wasted no opportunity to comment on what spoiled brats my sister and I were. He's also the same one who slapped me across the face with a toy rubber snake once and left a welt that didn't go away for a week. Not exactly someone whose comments should make a noticeable dent in a child's self image.. but they did.

I said that to say this... an addition to Papa's comments if you will... Be careful what you say to and about children in their hearing, especially girls. Your words can have more of an impact than you think. Especially if you are a man and you are talking to a little girl whose daddy lives somewhere else.

Oh and by the way.. L opens doors. Sometimes even for other guys. ;-)

Later: Self Respect.. Surprising or Not?