Reputations

By Mir
April 26, 2011

It’s a funny thing, about reputations. I always insisted, as a kid/teen/young adult that I didn’t care what anyone thought about me. And that was total crap, of course; I did care, desperately. I care less now than I used to, but probably more than I will confess to most of the time. Doesn’t everyone want to be well-thought-of, more or less liked? I’m not going to sit around and cry about it if someone gets the wrong idea about me, but you know what I mean.

I am fond of telling the kids, “It doesn’t matter what other people think, it matters who you are.” I believe that. But it’s not entirely true; sometimes it DOES matter what other people think. And lots of times, it FEELS like it matters (whether it does or not).

Once upon a time, I was young and cerebral and not particularly interested in sex, but my reputation ended up suffering, anyway. Come on over to Off Our Chests today to read about my brief stint as something I wasn’t… and how I ended up being okay with it.

7 Comments

  1. Mrs. Flinger

    Ah, but look! I love the look of your site. (Confession: Readers break me of seeing real designs of blogs… bad bad bad)

    It’s lovely!

    (And now I can trot over to read your story…)

  2. Damsel

    I think that reputations are important. I don’t want to necessarily be liked so much as I want to be thought of as credible. I don’t care what others think of my opinions or the way I look or whatever, but I do care that others think of me as an honest, upright person with integrity. Maybe that’s from years of teaching high-school … and from a parenting perspective as well. (“I don’t care if you don’t LIKE me, but you’d better believe that I mean what I say!!”)

    Heading over to read your post at OOC!

  3. Beverly

    I used to get upset at what other people thought all the time. Then my dad said to me “consider the source. Is this a person whose opinion really matters to you or someone out to cause trouble and grief?” It is amazing how well that advice still works today as there are petty/nasty people at every point in your life.

  4. Cam Bibs&Baubles

    it’s true. but what’s also true is the older i get the less i care about what people think about me. that feels good.

  5. MissMonky

    Wow…it’s like those times you go to church and you swear the pastor is talking directly to you. This is exactly the struggle I’ve been dealing with today. Sometimes it DOES matter…but to what extent. Ugh

  6. Heather

    It’s funny sometimes, trying to strike that balance! I haven’t clicked over yet, but I’m pretty sure I’ll love it, because you, m’lady, have a reputation for excellent writing :D

  7. Brigitte

    I’ve always wanted to be liked . . but very rarely was willing to go out of my way for it. You either like me or don’t, and though I’d prefer you to, I’m OK with the other choice as well. And also, thblzblzblz!

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