Journal 4

When someone does not use my name, gives me the cold shoulder, or does not make eye contact with me, and they greet me with only complaints, it totally depends on my relationship with that person. If it is someone that I normally have a close relationship with, like a family member, or a friend, it would bother me and make me feel like what I had to say wasn’t worthy of their time. I would also think they didn’t respect me or our relationship as friends. If it was a stranger treating me in this manner I would be offended. It would also make me mad because I feel like I am giving you respect and I expect the same in return. And chances are unless I received an apology, that would be the way I viewed you from then on and I wouldn’t have very much to say to that person from that point on.

I have been in a situation where I received that type of treatment at work, and it was my supervisor, I didn’t like it at all. The staff worked there before she was transferred to our center and she had a lack of respect for all of us, and complained about everything. It made the work environment very stressful and nobody wanted to be bothered with her. I respected her as my supervisor and my elder but I didn’t allow her to be disrespectful to me. I also asked her could she try and find at least one positive thing to say with the negative, it makes a difference to people when they know they have done at least one thing right. Nobody deserves to be ignored or disrespected and if I feel that I am being treated that way I will ask you not to say anything else to me until you can respect me as I respect you.