thoughts, words, deeds

pouring milk

What do you think about people who magnify little things, such as blowing small mishaps out of proportion instead of taking a step back and looking at the issue objectively? Have ever blown anything out of proportion?

I find I have very little patience with melodrama. I remember when I was in high school, there was a couple who spent their time getting together and breaking up and hurting each other and living on the very edge of their skins--but it always felt as though they were not really serious about it--they thought that love and life should be like a soap opera, so they arranged it so it would be. It was exhausting.

I know that the question is more complicated than that. For example, there are people who magnify out of humorous effect. I do it myself to some degree. I kind of like that.

There are also times when some small act, something that no one else notices or thinks anything of becomes tremendous. Okay, I have an example of that from my own life. I'm the oldest of six, so when everyone was at the dinner table, there were eight of us, and as one of the older ones, I helped fill plates, especially for the very little ones. One day (I was feeling hormonal and I was about sixteen, just to give some perspective) I was standing and pouring milk for everyone. And then I sat. And I burst out crying. I didn't know why at first, but when they asked me what was wrong, all that came out was that no one ever poured milk for me.

Sometimes, I think, it's easier to look at something little and complain about it than to face the bigger things we all have to. I am always going to complain if I do something little like get a splinter or stub my toe, but when I'm really injured or in pain, there's no room in my life for anything but the focus on pain. I remember a friend of mine--we'd just gotten to camp and she broke her arm (while we were setting up things). She sat and started laughing with the rest of us standing around, trying to help but she didn't let anyone do anything. A splint and a ride to the ER--not even any pain killers because if we gave her some, they wouldn't give her the good stuff (as she put it).

In other words, I've learned that when we see something who (we think) is magnifying things out of proportion, we should be the ones taking that step back to see what the bigger thing is. Never assume that something we know is a little splinter isn't bigger to someone with smaller fingers. And if someone is exhausting us with melodrama, maybe it's time to step away and let someone else be the audience.