The “crack up” award

Today I spoke with one of the less delightful people who works for the State of Oregon.  She was condescending  and just generally not my favorite person by the end (early middle) of our conversation.  I wanted to say “look lady, I have a masters degree in neuropsychology (that’s my “go to” smarty pants credential, never mind that I don’t actually use the degree), so don’t talk down to me;  I’m a nice person and I’m not being rude to you -don’t treat me this way.”  Instead I was polite and didn’t comment on her rudeness.

The thing I got thinking about afterward, when I hung up the phone and called her a condescending wench as I smacked the phone back on the desk, was that it’s all fine and dandy that I have a degree and am a decent person and all that, but really I would deserve no less if I was completely uneducated and had never held a job in my life.  I am not a better person because I have a certain degree or job or go on fancier trips or whatever.  We all need to be nice to each other just because it’s the right thing to do… value is inherent in the fact that it’s a person, not what you perceive that person’s place in society to be.  So, “CW,” in retrospect, I kind of wish I had *nicely* called you on your meanness by letting you know that the way you were speaking to me made me feel like crying when I got off the phone.  Instead I was grouchy in my own house for awhile, then prayed that night for the condescending wench’s life to get better… and, yes, I called her by name (condescending wench) to God; I figure that way He’d know who I was talking about.  So, maybe I still have some letting go to do.

Anyway, the reason I write all this is because I generally am a nice person (other than comments I make after I hang up the phone) and, like most people, I don’t like to feel the way that “lady” made me feel.  Nope; I like to laugh.

I watch movies that make me laugh and I read things that make me laugh.  I hang out with people who make me laugh (often at myself).  So, I decided that I want a badge for this (apparently I like rewards).  I want it on my site and I want to give this badge to others who contribute to the laughs in my day.  I see these badges such as the “Creative Blog Award” and the “Versatility Blog” and such on peoples’ blogs, and I want a badge that is the “Laugh Out Loud Blog.”

So, I’m going to make one.  Then I’m going to award it to some of the blogs that make me laugh… out loud.  When I’ve read about these other awards, they have responsibilities attached to them so that people can find other creative or versatile blogs as a result and learn about them in the process.  So, I need to have some requirements, but this is a lighthearted award, so I want to keep it simple.  Here’s what I’m thinking the recipient should have to do:

1.  Post the LOL (laugh out loud, for you non-texters out there) badge on your blog

2.  Write a post that includes the following:

a.  a thank you to the person who gave you the award (include a link to their blog)

b.  a clean joke or limerick (just look one up and copy it into your post if you don’t know one- it can even be a knock knock joke!)

c.  a list of five other blogs (linked) that you’re giving the award to- so we can find more laughs

3.  Notify the five other blogs that you’ve given them the award and explain to them that they need to copy and paste these instructions on their blog… and complete them

4.  And, I think that’s it.  This should be a compliment and simple to do… and help to spread the laughs around.

So, start thinking about what blogs make you laugh on a regular basis.  Let’s start recognizing those people who add smiles to our day.  Who knows, maybe the condescending wench will read one and it will “turn her frown upside down.”  ….blah, blah, blah.   good person.

Get out there and find something to laugh about.

To add the badge to your site:

Copy this code and paste it into an HTML widget (called a Text widget on WordPress) or into your blog using the HTML setting.

<div>&lt;a href="http://www.twyste.com&#034; target="_self"&gt;&lt;img src="http://bit.ly/xX9iS6&#034; alt="LOL Award" width="125" height="125" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</div>

OR

Copy and paste the code below into an image widget.

then link it to this address:

The “crack up” award

As always, let me know if you get stuck on this.  We can make this work… really.

  • Stick it (opinionatedmommy.wordpress.com)

12 thoughts on “The “crack up” award

  1. I should comment that in my other dealings with the State, I have only encountered very friendly and helpful people… and maybe this person was just having an off-day… she just happened to have it with someone who needed to vent afterward. on a blog. for paragraphs. So, crabby lady, I hope your week got better. Really.

  2. Ahhh poor crabby lady. I work in customer service myself, and always “try” to be pleasant on the phone, which can be challenging sometimes! Sometimes I feel bad for people that are rude to me. Which makes me keep the Tylenol bottle close. Which makes me be super sweet on the phone to them. Which probably just irritates them! ha!

    • I tried to remember that while that was my one interaction like that for the day, the phone call was at 4:30 and she had possibly endured zillions. That may have been her happy voice! Anyway, I truly do hope her day got better.

  3. I paid it forward. Please refer to my post Humor Me. I shamelessly plugged you, twice! and am embracing your grass roots lol effort! Thanks again!

    • I checked out your Humor Me post and laughed my way through it. Your imagery is really funny. Thanks for taking off with my “grassroots lol effort” as you called it, and for passing it on so quickly!

  4. You may sometimes be “undone” by others’ actions, but you are so well grounded that you always bounce to a higher place. Are grounded and bouncing 2 sides of the same coin? Thanks for your transparency…and the laughing pictures!

    • Some pictures just make me smile when I see them because you can almost hear the laughs in them. Thanks for appreciating my transparency; those are the easiest posts to write!

  5. Kelly, this made my day (and it’s been a great one!). What you say is sooo true and I want to always live knowing and acting on that. I’m so proud of who you are!

  6. Ah, Kelly, you always make me LOL. I don’t read any other blogs, so cant pass any on. Totally get the customer service issue though. Anyone working with people need extra smiles. Besides reading this, mine came from a very stressed out nurse today. She interrupted a meeting DEMANDING the social worker find a patient’s sig others phone number because the person was not answering her cell and the patient couldn’t Tell the nurse any other phone numbers. The social worker calmly picked up the phone book on the table, turned to the correct page, and told the nurse the # in the book….and kept a completely straight face. I on the other hand almost peed my pants trying not to bust a gut. Its amazing how stressed out people cant problem solve the simplest tasks 🙂
    Have a smiley evening!!

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