So, while hanging out after school today, I got really excited talking to this girl about Ceres (celestial object, not the goddess). Then, this girl from my grade came up, and said how she had no idea why we humans wasted our time going up there with useless rockets and finding new planets when we can't even fix our own problems and help the poor down here. She got everyone close by on her side.
I started telling her how space agencies are actually a good investment even if you don't care about space, but she shut me up, telling me how she was "very close-eyed (close minded?) and would never be convinced by what I said.
I told her she had made her point, said what she wanted to say, and asked her is she would allow me to say my side. She put her fingers to her ears. I asked her what was the point of having an argument or discussion if no one will listen to the other side, having both people just talk past each other. She left the room with her fingers on her ears saying "lalalalalalalala" (yes, this is a ninth grader we're talking about). After she left, I made my side but I don't think more than a couple people even bothered listening to me.
Anyways. That made me slightly annoyed. On the way home, I told my mom. She asked me why I "got into a fight over such a small thing" and how I "was just like my father" (he has a nasty habit of trying to force his own views of people and talking past them. Sort of like comment trolls). I told here I never fought her, and I just asked her if I could make my side and she left. She said that the girl was dumb, but also told me I was "disrespectful" with her. I asked her what was disrespectful in "You've said what you wanted to say, now can you please let me say what I want to say?" She said I wasn't disrespectful in how I addressed her, but how I was "disrespectful of her opinion".
Get home. Serving myself some cereal while talking to my mom excitedly about my day. I end up serving my cereal in the wrong way, as in, in such a way a lot of it falls out of the bag and into the box. From my point of view, I did not notice me. Mom sees it. Tells me to stop. I put the box down, and the cereal falls to the bottom. My mom apparently decides that this infraction was worth slapping me in the head and raising her voice at me about how I am so wasteful and "it truly shows that I don't care about poor people". I tell her I didn't notice it, didn't think about it, and she says, "that's your problem, you never think about things". After she finishes ranting, I leave. As I walk away, she asks, "Aren't I right?" I know telling her the wrong answer will probably get me a good screaming and/or beating. I ceremoniously answer, "Yes."
And then it hits me.
I can't find words to explain it properly, so have some quotes to see if you can figure it out by yourself.
She left the room with her fingers on her ears saying "lalalalalalalala"
how I was "disrespectful of her opinion".
She asked me why I "got into a fight over such a small thing"
I end up serving my cereal in the wrong way... My mom apparently decides that this infraction was worth slapping me in the head and raising her voice at me
how I was "disrespectful of her opinion".
I know telling her the wrong answer will probably get me a good screaming and/or beating.
I'll probably write another rant about it later when I can find the right words.