Saturday, March 3, 2012

Costanza Effect

A L O H A !


" The noblest kind
of retribution
 is not to become 
like your enemy. "

 Marcus Aurelius













" One of the characteristics of the dream
 is that nothing surprises us in it. "

Jean Cocteau










" The day will come
 when the people will make 
so insistent their demand
 that there be peace in the world
 that the Governments 
will get out of the way
 and let them have peace. "

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
US President
broadcast discussion, Aug. 31, 1959



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When I was little
I didn't understand about
stress,
or personality issues,
or adult attention-deficit.

All I knew
was that my parents didn't
nurture or calm me.

In fact,
 they were a huge source
of stress in my child's world.


 I remember crying in my room.
Stuck in pain, I could only hold on to
"Some day"
the some day when I could escape.

"Don't forget!" I made myself promise.
"Don't forget how they treated you
when they are old
and try to pretend
that none of this ever happened.

Don't fall for their lies.
Escape, and stay escaped!

I had my first apartment
at age 16.

Fast forward
to today. . .


Watching SEINFELD on TV
I observed how George Costanza's family
is always yelling & screaming
like my own.

George ends up yelling back at them.
Doing so, he resembles them,
he acts like them,
he carries on the family
way.

I call it the Costanza Effect
and I don't want to do it!

I will count to ten,
I will excuse myself.
But I will not treat
THEM
like they treated
me.

Ah!  Meaningful Victory!


How do you handle difficult people?

Thanks for visiting

                              Warmly, cloudia