Sunday Scribblings

I've decided to participate in the Sunday Scribblings blog when I can. They give you a topic, and you respond to it however you want. Here's my take on "skin."

What I first thought of when I saw the topic "skin" was what I’ll write about. People often say that you have to have "thick skin" to get through this things in this world. Exactly what does that mean?
For example, I had a cheerleader mom complain about something the other day. A little background: I’m cheer director (a volunteer position) for a group of 10 girls ages 5-10 for a local little league football team. The parent wasn’t criticizing me personally or really complaining about something that I have control over. I had to have thick skin so as not to take it personally, but I didn’t. It really bothered me until the next time I was able to talk with her. She’s very sweet, but I felt like I was being asked to fix something I couldn’t fix. I don’t think it was meant to be an attack, but it felt like one.
Another issue where I needed thick skin but had a hard time with it was also during this past week. I had a boy write something naughty on the computer screen with a certain program, and I saw it, and I had to write it up. He finally admitted to the principal what he did, and he got in trouble, both at home and school, and when he came to get his books out of my room after seeing the principal, he was crying, and I felt so terrible. If I had thicker skin, it wouldn’t have bothered me so much since he’s the one who made a mistake and needed to learn from it.
My daughter is also very sensitive. My sister has told me a number of times that she’s going to need to develop thicker skin or she’s going to be miserable. I don’t think it’s that severe. My stepdaughter is fairly much the same way.
Then, there’s the oldest stepdaughter who’s exactly the opposite. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks! Actually, I think her case is worse because no matter how much she claims she isn’t bothered by things, I think she hold it inside and makes herself almost sick over it. Sometimes I wish she had thinner skin so things would matter to her, because the way it seems now, nothing does!
Thick skin… definitely a trait that can be useful. Not letting things "get" to you. As long as you know in your heart you’re doing the right thing or that you’ve done nothing wrong, then why let other people have the power to control your emotions? So much easier to say than do.