In the US many high schools and universities put out cards that have a local contact that is part of the Alumni contact, but is basically a multi-class directory that is then sold to folks. I had thought those had gone by the wayside like many publications of that sort, displaced by social networking media and the internet.
Nope. I received three, one for my high school, one for the university I attended for undergraduate and one for my graduate school. The cards immediately went into shred folder, not because I am secretive, but because folks who know me are already connected via social networking sites, and I am wise to how this particular scenario plays out. Nothing bad, and for some, quite enjoyable.
My hoarding mother got one. And she went simply ballistic... Calling the 1-800 number and demanding to 'be removed from the list NOW!' and telling the hapless call center person her dramatic and sad story... A story that I have heard nearly 5 million times that includes:
- She was not allowed to go to parties or to socialize so why would she now?
- All she did was go to class and then go to work.
- She did not have any friends in school, so she does not know or care about 'those people'.
- A long, drawn out story about someone who came into her cake and candy supply shop in the basement of her home in the early 80s who told her they told the reunion committee for her class her address and she went absolutely batsh^t crazy on that person, screaming 'Why? WHY? I do not want anything from them!' and similar sentiments.
- How she has never attended a reunion and does not intend to start now.
She planned to go into the local Alumni contact's office, who happens to be our former insurance agent, and she loathes him. She planned to go in and demanding that her information not be included, and telling him what she thinks...
You get the idea. Another person I should send flowers to when she is gone. It is just so sad. Granted, I took the 'geographical solution' and 'poofed' on many folks from high school, and I own that behavior, and I know I have hurt many folks I did not mean to, I just needed to be able to live and do so from outside the shadow of the hoard, or her toxicity.
I feel I had little choice... but the friendships, both consistently maintained and rediscovered are precious. It saddens me that my mother makes the choices she does. And as we all know, choices wreak consequences, both positive and negative, as well as natural and contrived.
Have a good one, and thank you for reading. And please keep our former insurance agent in your positive thoughts. He may need them!
Hoarding... No one wins. NO ONE.
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