Saturday, December 20, 2008

HOLDING THE MIRROR

Rojo has me watching endless episodes of "Nanny 911." He likes it for the "bad words" which artfully get cut out, whereupon he tries to figure out what the missing word was.

Fun times.

I watch it and try to guess how long it's going to take the parents to "get it." Their behavior is the problem, resulting in their children's "mis" behavior.

Episode after episode this is the case. The parents call Nanny 911 to come and fix their kids, and the nanny fixes them, instead. And the parents always act surprised when they put two and two together.

Two and two - the hardest numbers to add in the universe.

Recently a woman I used as a "coach" asked for a testimonial. I wrote that she was most helpful to me by pointing out the obvious - which was, of course, not obvious to me.

When I asked the "random" person if she had a message for me, she also pointed out the obvious, which, in a nutshell, was that I was personifying the definition of insanity - continuing to do the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Although her message to me was particular to one situation, I could see how universal it was for me.

Two and two.

Very hard to add.

12 comments:

Angie Ledbetter said...

Something a lot of us (me included) can take to heart. PS...maybe y'all can watch Super Nanny too. :)

Jerri said...

From where I sit, you're a match whiz, Carrie my dear. The difference between you and most people is that you seek more answers, which means you just keep adding all the time.

Not a bad thing, do you think?

kario said...

Amazing how much difference it makes to stand on the outside a little while! This is why we need other people, isn't it - to give us the perspective we so badly need.

BTW, Bubba read the first paragraph of this post and his immediate response was, "I like that kid!"

Don't we all?

contemporary themes said...

Oh, I think your adding skills are way better than you think they are!

Love that kid, too! : )

Deb Shucka said...

Your willingness to look at the hard stuff is inspirational. Isn't it always the simplest things that are the hardest to grasp?

Robin said...

Have Rojo watch "Kitchen Nightmares" with Gordon Ramsay. The bleeping is fantastic and the way Gordon takes control of out of hand situations is, well, breath taking.

Wanda said...

And just wait until you get to the multiplication tables!

susan said...

Carrie nails it again ... FTW!

Michelle O'Neil said...

Math was never my strong suit either. Though I have heard the places we feel blocked might actually be places we are gifted.

Hope.

Anonymous said...

My husband told me I was bossy today, I pointed out to him that usually what bothers us most in others is what we dislike in ourselves. We'll see. I am a little bossy at times but I think it is his problem really. Maybe I should get him a math primer for Christmas:)

Have a very Merry Christmas Carrie.

Drama Mama said...

Well.

It makes for compelling television.

Janna Leadbetter said...

Such a truth-hitting post! And I really like your blog. :)

Found you through Angie over at GumboWriter, btw.