Expectation.

This post is sort of an addendum to the previous one. I think this person really bugged me!!!!

I just thought of another example to illustrate my gratitude point. This one is more meaningful, because it's not just about being/doing something nice for others who show no gratitude (actually, who show the OPPOSITE of gratitude). It's about gratitude and EXPECTATION.

There may be an expectation of certain things in life but it's important to remember that although something may be expected, you should still show gratitude.

For example (this isn't THE example I was thinking of, but, well, baby steps)... I thanked my Ob/Gyn repeatedly after my son was delivered. I was so, so grateful. Now, this guy gets a gazillion dollars every day for doing what he does. But that's his JOB. So it's expected that he is going to deliver babies safely, yet does he not deserve gratitude?! As long as he did everything "right," does he not deserve gratitude?

Here's the example to which I was referring in the beginning of the post.

I used to be a professional developer. Say what you will, but not everyone knows everything (and even more know nothing) so having a resource person on staff to support the teachers in mandated initiatives was not only useful, but also necessary.

A teacher was printing a test in my room one day, at the very end of her free period. There were several print jobs queued ahead of hers, so she had a little while to wait. I told her that I would keep an eye out for her test so that she could get to class. No big deal.

Her test printed out. I put it in her mailbox. She came to me later looking for it. I told her where I had put it. She all but freaked out, explaining that "you NEVER put tests in mailboxes." You never? Or you never? The other teachers in the room at the time rolled their eyes and reassured me that she was a high-strung lunatic (yes, this was validation... and it felt effing good).

But... ummmm... FA-Q! What was that?!?! It's my job to help you, for sure, but not everything I did appeared in my job description (I was not hired to be a waitress or a delivery girl). I was always happy to go above and beyond (part of my work ethic and stands true today). This was a little extra nothing that I thought I could do to help, yet got reamed for doing it.

It's so easy to criticize from the sidelines when you're useless and a lazy ass. Why do so many people fit that description? And why are the ones that do, proud of it?!