Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Hard Things

Life is full of things which are hard or tedious or otherwise unpleasant that need doing anyhow. They help make the world go 'round, they improve skills, and they boost your sense of self-respect. But doing them still kinda sucks. It's all the more difficult to do those things when nobody appreciates it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our accomplishments and pat each other on the back.

What are some of the hard things you've done recently?
Tags: community, family skills, life lessons, meme
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  • 38 comments
ideealisme

ideealisme

May 27 2009, 00:33:07 UTC 12 years ago

http://ideealisme.livejournal.com/118003.html
ysabetwordsmith

Good job...

ysabetwordsmith

May 27 2009, 02:27:15 UTC 12 years ago

... sometimes writing comes down to putting one word in front of another.

Deleted comment

ysabetwordsmith

Good for you!

ysabetwordsmith

May 27 2009, 02:25:54 UTC 12 years ago

Speaking out can be very hard. Also very costly.
jenny_evergreen

jenny_evergreen

May 27 2009, 00:57:07 UTC 12 years ago

http://jenny-evergreen.livejournal.com/1044716.html
ysabetwordsmith

Good for you!

ysabetwordsmith

May 27 2009, 02:37:12 UTC 12 years ago

That's a long hard job, alright.
dragonmyst

dragonmyst

May 27 2009, 01:11:06 UTC 12 years ago

Managed a household of six kids while sick with a stomach bug and hubby was out of town.

I also chew nails first thing in the morning ;)
ysabetwordsmith

Wow...

ysabetwordsmith

May 27 2009, 02:30:07 UTC 12 years ago

... that's really hard.
dragonmyst

Re: Wow...

dragonmyst

12 years ago

  • New comment
siliconshaman

siliconshaman

May 27 2009, 01:50:39 UTC 12 years ago

I think the hardest thing I did today was actually more something I didn't do...

I didn't commit violent and bloody murder, or even visibly loose my cool, as the doctor treated my beloved like she was retarded and all but called her a liar because we needed the doctor to prescribe pain-killers and anti-inflammatory to manage the bone infection in her skull that I suspect is very slowly killing her, and they're not treating because I rather think they don't actually believe she's ill..

Still..the results of her scans will be back soon..and since you can actually feel where it's made a pit, I imagine they'll be eating crow soon..
ysabetwordsmith

*sigh*

ysabetwordsmith

May 27 2009, 02:09:13 UTC 12 years ago

Few things suck more than having your life/health depend on your ability to convince someone else to give you services or supplies you cannot obtain on your own.

You are a saint for not strangling someone who seems like they desperately deserve it.
browngirl

browngirl

12 years ago

  • New comment
ideealisme

ideealisme

12 years ago

  • New comment
je_reviens

je_reviens

May 27 2009, 01:58:37 UTC 12 years ago

Looking. For. A. Job. It sucks, it is a constant effort with little return or success. It is depressing in extreme.

I also do not like -- cleaning my toilet, taking out the garbage, giving the dog medicine, emptying rotting food out of my fridge.
dulcinbradbury

dulcinbradbury

May 27 2009, 02:16:50 UTC 12 years ago

I hate doing dishes. And putting away laundry. And just picking up stuff. But yah, doing these things anyway is part of being a reasonable adult.

I also helped strike a major event this weekend, staying right to the bitter end.
ysabetwordsmith

Too true!

ysabetwordsmith

12 years ago

  • New comment
je_reviens

Re: Too true!

je_reviens

12 years ago

  • New comment

Deleted comment

ysabetwordsmith

Good for you...

ysabetwordsmith

May 27 2009, 02:35:20 UTC 12 years ago

It was valiant of you to put up with that.

I think, though, you've highlighted another reason why many people feel less than dutiful: they don't like being wasted.
themaskmaker

themaskmaker

May 27 2009, 02:20:02 UTC 12 years ago

I listened to my son sob in despair, and I didn't tell him that it was no big deal and that everything would be ok, even though I really wanted to. I just held him and honored his feelings.
ysabetwordsmith

Wow ...

ysabetwordsmith

May 27 2009, 02:36:07 UTC 12 years ago

... that's one of the really hard parts of parenting.
themaskmaker

Re: Wow ...

themaskmaker

12 years ago

  • New comment
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Wow ...

ysabetwordsmith

12 years ago

  • New comment

Deleted comment

ysabetwordsmith

That's good ...

ysabetwordsmith

May 27 2009, 03:37:00 UTC 12 years ago

... ideas are important.
newroticgirl

newroticgirl

May 27 2009, 05:49:45 UTC 12 years ago

Ask for help. That's really hard for me.
ysabetwordsmith

Good for you!

ysabetwordsmith

May 27 2009, 06:16:38 UTC 12 years ago

Yes, that one can be really difficult.
browngirl

browngirl

12 years ago

  • New comment
wyld_dandelyon

wyld_dandelyon

May 27 2009, 06:39:39 UTC 12 years ago

Major housecleaning, when I'm allergic to house dust and a zillion other things. And job hunting.
ysabetwordsmith

Good for you!

ysabetwordsmith

May 27 2009, 07:12:49 UTC 12 years ago

Allergies make a lot of hard jobs harder.
wyld_dandelyon

Re: Good for you!

wyld_dandelyon

12 years ago

  • New comment
asakiyume

things that must be done and hard things

asakiyume

May 27 2009, 12:28:32 UTC 12 years ago

The things I've had to do recently that just must be done aren't really hard--they fall more into the tedious category. But they must be done to help make society run as it should. Making phone calls to make sure stuff gets done, scheduling appointments, writing minutes of meetings, balancing checkbook... those things.

The hard thing I did recently was back off and not press my older daughter to tell me what was wrong when she was looking unhappy. We have patterns of relating (not just my daughter and me, but people generally), and sometimes it's hard to change, even when you know it's not very effective. But this time I tried.
ysabetwordsmith

Re: things that must be done and hard things

ysabetwordsmith

May 28 2009, 18:24:44 UTC 12 years ago

Relationship dynamics can be really challenging, especially when what works for you isn't the same as what works for someone else.

*ponder* I hate having people pick at me when I'm not feeling well or I'm upset over something. It makes me feel worse. When people leave me alone, I know that's hard for them, and I REALLY appreciate it -- even though I rarely have the energy to say so at the time.
asakiyume

Re: things that must be done and hard things

asakiyume

12 years ago

  • New comment
tabard

tabard

May 27 2009, 12:53:30 UTC 12 years ago

I got out of a relationship with a man I love because it was ultimately making me miserable. Two months later, and it still hurts if I dwell on it for too long, but I'm worlds happier than I have been in more than a year.
ysabetwordsmith

Good for you!

ysabetwordsmith

May 27 2009, 16:40:52 UTC 12 years ago

Congratulations and condolences. That's always a hard thing to do.

Recently Doug and I watched the movie "Sita Sings the Blues" which tells parallel love stories through blues music, Sita's tale in The Ramayana, and experiences from the artist's wrecked marriage. If your personality responds well to catharsis, you might look it up:
http://www.sitasingstheblues.com/
tabard

Re: Good for you!

tabard

12 years ago

  • New comment
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Good for you!

ysabetwordsmith

12 years ago

  • New comment
miintikwa

miintikwa

May 27 2009, 18:51:19 UTC 12 years ago

I said no.
ysabetwordsmith

Huzzah!

ysabetwordsmith

May 27 2009, 20:05:37 UTC 12 years ago

Good for you.

I like this page of 20 ways to say no:
http://www.onlineorganizing.com/ExpertAdviceToolboxTips.asp?tipsheet=16
miintikwa

Re: Huzzah!

miintikwa

12 years ago

  • New comment

  • Fieldhaven as Habitat

    If you follow my posts on gardening, birdfeeding, and photos, then you know that I garden for wildlife. Looking at the YardMap parameters, here…

  • A Little Slice of Terramagne: YardMap

    Sadly the main program is dormant, but the YardMap concept is awesome, and many of its informative articles remain. YardMap was a citizen science…

  • Birdfeeding

    Today is sunny, muggy, and warm. I fed the birds. I've seen house finches and a squirrel. After lunch, we moved the rest of the walnut logs. Most…