In this day and age there must be diagnosis for what I have. I guess I am lucky that I had no idea I had a problem until I was an adult. With all the labels they place on kids these days it makes me wonder if it will start to affect them. Okay, so I do actually have a diagnosis of A.D.D. That may account for the lack of impulse control I seem to have. If it is on my mind, it is out of my mouth. Usually. I have gotten better, some, well not really. I like to think I have, lets just leave it at that.
I guess it should have occurred to me that I say inappropriate things, since the first time I meet people I see strange looks on their faces. Kind of like the look you see when someone in the crowd lets loose a silent but deadly one.... My future mother in law was not exempt from this and the first time I met her I do believe I caused her great emotional pain. The story does end well since, as you read, she does become my mother in law. I am really not sure how my husband decided to move forward with our relationship after the "dog debacle."
To start I must tell you that I did make it an hour or more before offending this kind woman. We had driven up to spend some time with her and have diner together. My then boyfriend and I had only been together a short time. He did not have the foresight to warn his mother that I say things....awkward things. (He learned that I should always come with a disclaimer later in our relationship.)
When we first walked in to her home I knew I liked her. It smelled good, there were family pictures everywhere, and plants. I kill plants. I don't mean to, but usually just knowing that I will be caring for them causes a few leaves to drop off....
We sat at her kitchen table and talked. She was really easy to get a long with, very friendly and interesting. I guess that is always when I get into trouble. I felt comfortable around her. Some how this might actually be her fault! So, over the course of our conversation I learned that unlike me, she would go to the end of the earth to save a pet. I, on the other hand tend to lean a little more toward Jack Kevorkian. I just can't bare the thought of an animal suffering so I have no problem allowing them to be put "to sleep" when the time comes. Of course I am sad about this, but I feel it is one of the kindest things we can do for our furry friends.
As we talked she was sharing with us how concerned she was, because in the very near future she would be moving. The move was an improvement, going from a rental to a home she would own. This good part aside she was still very worried. It seemed that she had a very elderly dog. This dog was blind and deaf and had trouble walking, however since she had lived in that house for so long she knew how to navigate around. She knew how to get from the food bowl to the door and back again. With all the sorrow in her voice as she was describing this you would think I might clue in to her sensitivities.....I did not.
She wondered aloud about the actual moving day and asked, "Where should I put Soofie?"
Without missing a beat I said, "How about in the ground?"
The silence that filled the room was horrendous, yet it wasn't until the drive home that I was aware of anything I had done wrong. My sweet boyfriend, (who actually went on to marry me) said, "I can not believe you said that to my Mom."
I believe I replied, "Said what?"
Poor poor man....he really should have run while he had the chance.
