Respect...what's that?

I'm beginning to wonder if my standards of general things in life are just way too high. I deal with people and I often walk away wondering why they just don't "Get It".

Let me break down a situation I dealt with today. Friday when I picked up Michael from school, I noticed he wasn't wearing his glasses. As he got in the truck, I asked him what happened and he informed me that someone had broke them. He didn't know who or why but he had come back in from P.E. and found them broken on the bleacher. This being the end of school they had already cleared out their gym lockers so there was no place for them to put their items except out with everyone else's. Ok, he did not tell his teacher as he was still outside. Instead, he went to the Asst. Principal's office and was told by the secretary in there that he was not in. He informed her of the situation and was told that he should tell his P.E. Teacher. Well, as he has been told all year, he hurried to get to his next period so he wouldn't be tardy.

We called the school upon hearing the situation and was told that there was an 8th grade field trip so we probably wouldn't be contacted but we could leave a message. I knew where this was headed...come Monday we would be told that too much time had gone by. Well, that's exactly what happened. I went in first thing this morning. It was far from a pleasant experience initially. The same secretary who spoke to Michael on Friday was who I first dealt with. The Asst. Principal was not in, but I could have him call me (yeah, we know how well that works...no thanks!). I do tell her, no that doesn't seem to work at this school, what are my other options. She says, well I could make you an appointment. Ok, she told me before that she didn't know when he would be in. How can you make an appointment with someone when you don't know when that person will be in? I ask her this and she gets upset and yells at me. She says...I cannot control when he comes in!!! Well duh! I understand that, so if you have no idea when he's coming, how can you make an appointment with him? Obviously, the common sense aspect of my question was too overwhelming for her.

I leave and go back to the office. I ask if I can please speak to someone with less attitude. A few minutes later as I'm waiting for someone, anyone to help me...the same secretary who just yelled at me walks in to do the morning announcements. Before walking to the microphone, she darts me a dirty look. Are we in high school? For real...but being the immature person I can be, I decide that I too can play this game. I ask for the paperwork so I can file a letter of grievance and then look at the secretary and ask her if there are two o's in her name (I wanna get it right, you know). Well as the admin clerk hands me the paperwork they decide to send me on to the counselor. Now, this is an ok thing I guess, however I know nothing will really be resolved. She was nice enough and helpful. I wrote my statement, Michael wrote his, we talked to the Coach and pretty much came to the conclusion, nothing is really going to be done. For the record, I already knew that before I ever walked into the school but I had some hope.

At this point, I'm not even in the school anymore in regards to the glasses. Now I'm just pissed off at the lack of respect and courtesy people have when speaking to others. I don't know who pissed the lady off before I walked in, but she talked to the wrong person in the wrong tone. I have no problem with confrontation, I can be as nice I need to be, but get big and brave and stupid with me and trust me, I can go there too! When I told her I didn't appreciate her tone, she got even louder...being 32 now (ya know it's my birthday, woohoo!) I figure I should pretend to act like an adult so I decide, I'm not going to go there with her...instead I simply say to her..."you know it's MY birthday, but I'm going to give YOU a gift and leave your office!". Proud I am, of how I handled that situation!

What gets me is that this seems to be the standard. This is not my first run in with the administration at the school and speaking with other parents, apparently I'm not the only one dealing with these issues. I'm an advocate for my child, if not me, then who? Is it so hard to try to get answers and help? Why is it hard to get a phone call back? Why when trying to go to the people we are advised to talked to, is it like pulling teeth?

I'm the first to tell you that I can be a passionate person and I can get riled up pretty easily...but I can also tell you, that I can get my point across without getting crazy. I will also tell you that the minute you get stupid..well then you've lost the right to me being calm. I refuse to let my children talk to me with disrespect, I refuse to let my husband talk to me with disrespect, I refuse to let someone I don't know talk to me in such a manner as well.

Maybe...just maybe, I'm expecting too much.