A few years ago, I was chatting over coffee to a group of friends who had kids at my girls' school. One of them brought up the fact that she would like to enrol in art classes.
I mentioned that drawing was my passion - I'd had lessons as a little girl and still enjoyed just drawing, maybe a flower in my garden would inspire me, or a piece of fruit in the fruit bowl...
Another friend, who I'll refer to as "L" just listened, and said nothing.
Next term she was off to drawing classes every Friday morning...this went on for quite a few months. She attended every art show in the mountains, and even took her family to Canberra one weekend, just to visit the art galleries.
One day I was chatting to her while she sat in her car and I spotted a lovely cloche style felt hat on the console...I complimented it and she said "(her husband) bought it for me for my birthday, seeing as I'm an artist now, he thinks I should look the part when I go to art lessons"
This went on for a couple of years - I won't bore you with details, but this woman even became the "official" artist at our school fete, organising the face painting stall and even doing charcoal sketches of kids at the fete and selling them to raise money for the school
Fast forward to now - our house is on the market.
The real estate agent has done a lovely job with the ads he's running - describing it as a "1920's Charmer"...
L's house is gorgeous, but different. She has it filled it with 1940's furniture, sourced from family and antique shops...
Until last week, she had a low brick fence, which apparently was put up during the 1960's. She's never liked it.
Her daughter was here with my eldest girl the other day, and told us they are getting the brick fence modified to look more like an authentic "1920's brick fence"...
Our house is being advertised locally, so I can only think that L got the "1920's" idea from our ad.
A couple of years ago, I started a program with IBO. I was very diligent with it and worked out at the gym five or six days a week. Occasionally, I would run into L at the aquatic centre with her kids as I collected mine from the pool after my workouts."what do you do in there?" she would ask. I would reply that I just did some weight training and used the cardio machines.
Earlier this year, her eldest daughter decided she wanted to do some Group Fitness classes. As she is my girl's best friend, I was happy to give her a lift, and if the class was RPM or Step, I would usually do the class as well...
Suddenly, L has taken out a family gym membership and is at every RPM class available...last night my daughter went to Zumba and when she came home she said : "guess who was there?" - no prizes for guessing, my "friend" L is now a fitness fanatic...
Her birthday is coming up...I bet her husband is making a trip to LJ...? I'm sure he wants her to "look the part" now she hangs out with the fitness crowd....
Rant over... Do You get the s*its when people constantly imitate you without giving you credit?
Feel free to label this as "Sandra is being bitchy due to PMS"...but it's my Blog and I'll write what I like.
Have a good night all.
xoxox
FABULOUS SANDRA! ... The ramblings of a 40 - something wife and mum on a journey to be the best version of me.
Hi Sandra-being-bitchy-due-to-PMS (LOL),
ReplyDelete".....when people constantly imitate you without giving you credit" has me baffled. Credit for what? For planting an idea, for setting a standard that they then choose to aspire to or ... you get what I mean.
From where I sit "L" sounds like she's a bit lost without leaning on or drawing on inspiration from others. That she would choose you suggests she thinks your life is worth copying. Maybe?? To me its a form of flattery (to you) but some insecurity(??) on her behalf. I think to you it feels like a case of "stolen identity" and perhaps a bit threatening. Maybe??
I'm no psyche but thats my perspective on it.
XX Magda
I totally agree with you, Magda. I don't honestly believe that I have such a "great" life that it would be worth imitating...but I've heard similar words to yours over and over and maybe that IS what's going on...
ReplyDeleteI did leave a lot out of my post because it really felt like I was just whingeing...but I sort of needed to get it off my chest.
When I say she doesn't give "credit", I guess what I mean is that she is the sort of person who grabs onto a "fad" or "lifestyle change" and claims it as her own - for example, when she'd see me at the gym, she would always say things like - "I don't have time for the gym, I'm so busy with my kids" (read - I'm a better mother than you), or "I'm afraid I'll build too much muscle...) - ummm what's wrong with muscle?
What I have found is that unless SHE is doing something, she finds a way to belittle it, or acts like she's not interested, but when it becomes HER "thing", watch out, it's THE thing to do!
Feeling much better for that! LOL
xoxox
I have learned to love the PMT bitch inside me. She isn't rational, she isn't understanding, she doesn't want to see anyone else's point of view and she stops my head exploding.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Sarah...works for me too. ;)
ReplyDeleteI also "like" what Sarah said. We all need that sometimes and shouldnt have to apologise for it. LOL
ReplyDeleteXX M
It sounds like L does not know how to be her own person, so in some weird round-about way it could be flattery to know she immitates what you are doing sometimes.. eventually she will have something of her own, hopefully!
ReplyDeleteHi Miss D! Yeah, I'd love her to find another "victim"... ;)
ReplyDelete