Wednesday, May 2, 2012

"That's you cranky for telling me to be quiet."

"That's you cranky for telling me to be quiet."
So Aubrey told "Joke of the Day" at Rick Dee's Hot 92.3 Radio station here in Los Angeles a couple weeks ago. While we were in the studio, it was approaching lunch and so Aubrey was getting hungry. You could see it in her behavior as she got a little more ansy. After Aubrey told her joke, Rick went on to record his show while we all sat around so obviously we had to keep quiet. When Aubrey's voice got a little too loud for in the studio, I reminded her that Rick was recording and we had to keep our voices low. It continued a few other times and soon I received this post it note from her. When I asked her about it  (after we got out out of the studio), she replied "That's you being cranky for telling me to be quiet." I smiled and told her just how I felt: I loved it. And only because it was then approaching naptime, she got even more upset that I liked it so much. She was wanting my response to be negative.

Lesson: Whether we're 4 years old or 34 years old, sometimes we get in a  mindset that we want it our way or the highway. We need to remember to take time to step back and analyze the situation. Sometimes those people we get mad at in those types of situations really just want the best for us but we're too caught up in the small stuff that we can't see the outcome.

For Aubrey at age 4, she was so caught up in having fun in the studio that she didn't see that if she didn't follow the rules of the studio, she was going to be asked to leave. I was seen as the bad guy because I was ruining her fun  (reminding her to keep her voice down).
I eventually took her out to get some food next door where we discussed the situation. Soon after, she started to follow asleep in my lap within minutes.

Another prime example: Teenagers getting mad at their parents for setting curfews, what's the harm in letting them stay out all night? haha, they won't see the light and appreciate all their parents did for them until years later.
We have to remember this happens to all of us, at all different stages of life.
Think about an 80 year old dad/grandpa who refuses the idea of assisted living. His pride got in the way. When it finally gets down to it, he makes the move stubbornly. After a few months of living in assisted living, he appreciates the new safety net (although he'll never admit it) as well as his daily dose of playing cards, listening to guest musicians, etc.

Sometimes our stubbornness (or lack of sleep, food, etc.) plays a huge role in not letting us see the light at the end of the tunnel.