Nothing is Enough

I am the first to admit, professional victims make me twitchy. Many, many years ago, back when we were dating Marty, brought his brother's then girlfriend (now wife) and I to Tucson. The car ride was three hours each way. And for the entire time--all six hours--the girlfriend whined, whined, whined. Though it has been a while, here are the three topics I remember that triggered me. For all I know, these were the only topics she covered. Because she wasn't in solution mode, and was only in "poor me," mode, she never stopped talking.

• She came from a broken home and that was why she had "issues." (her parents had divorced a year prior, when she was 24)
• She grew up poor.
• There is too much traffic and the snowbirds need to stop driving on the road when she is driving to work...

And that is about the point where I lost my patience.

Since then, this woman has hated me because I wasn't understanding and supportive to her plight. Nor did she ask me (or Marty) about anything about our lives, as she might have been interested in finding out she wasn't the only one in the car with divorced parents who grew up poor--and didn't feel like they had "issues." So, it wasn't just the traffic thing that put me over the edge.

As a side note, Marty's parents weren't terribly keen on me and I could tell they were hoping I was just a passing phase. But when this chick came along I was suddenly golden and have been ever since. I won favorite status by default, but I will take it.

We all know a professional victim or two. For the most part, I stay away from such folks because I have no filter and less patience.

Mrs. Worrier is currently the czarina of professional victims. I am watching this train wreck unfold and questioning how in the world she would want to live this way. Nothing is good enough--including her children, which she told me in front of them. It broke my heart. She can't work because she has health issues, can't trust her teenagers and a litany of other reasons. She can't do this. She can't do that. Her husband doesn't make enough. Nothing is new and pretty enough.

Nothing is enough. Isn't that really the mantra of every professional victim?

According to Marty, my late Texan mother-in-law would say, if you walk near a pile, some of it will stick to your foot. I am starting to think Mrs. Worrier is my pile. Though she is great blog fodder, she is trouble. And I don't have the patience for it.  I am giving her until Sunday.