Simple Life Lessons

Some people will think I have been ungrateful for calling out my adoptive parents on some of the dastard deeds they have committed against me. The thing is they know that I am the type of person who speaks her mind.

Both my adoptive parents are very outspoken so perhaps my nature to be blunt may have been developed through them and the fact I am a Scorpio. Over the years I have been called ill-mannered for expressing myself.

Yet, no one thought other people were rude and out of order for calling me all sorts of derogatory names that were unfounded. In some respects, my adoptive parents have created me to be the woman I am today with their free-range attitude.

However, despite our not so stellar relationship both Mickey and Minnie taught me vital life lessons. For instance, they taught me the value of a good work ethic and the importance of being punctual.

Minnie with her sharp intuition and quick ability to assess any situation stressed upon me the significance of questioning people’s motives. She always felt I was often too naive and due to my nature people saw me as being prime for deceptive plots.

Mickey on the other hand taught me all I know about cars. He would explain to me about the things that could go wrong with a car and some of the actions you can take to remedy the issues yourself.

He would impose certain rebukes by being indirect. That was his way of showing me that you can tell people the 411 in a roundabout way without actually coming out and saying it bluntly.

In some respects, he is a master at being diplomatic. He tried to show me that there are times to be direct and then there are times to be vague but effective.

My nature often leads me to take the direct route because by the time I find out I am being disrespected it is too late and I have to call things as I see them.

Since Mickey is also my real uncle via my biological mother, the Dutch DNA of being crude at times (using expletives), loving a good party, and celebrating have been passed down to me through birth and osmosis.

His Irish DNA such as love for horses, being vain about grooming, telling things like it is and fighting for what is right were also instilled in me through birth but activated by him.

He, like myself, loves music and we both can be very dramatic at times. On occasion, we have exhibited our psychic sides which is a credit to my Granny’s Greek DNA.

Of all the characteristics and behavior patterns, I have absorbed from Mickey & Minnie is the ability to not miss a beat and to be meticulous about everything.

Jamaicans on a whole are meticulous anyway. However, for many years my adoptive father was the management for a renowned business solutions and technology company on Madison Avenue.

It was during his tenure there that his ability to be meticulous became legendary and large corporations sought him out to get advice on their business programs. They would insist their work should only be done through his supervision.

He is the sort of person who will painstakingly make sure the intricate mundane details are taken care of. While other people are just interested in the end results he makes certain everything is done well from the beginning to the end. In other words, he is very thorough.

You will never find him doing anything slip-shoddy. Due to his scrupulous nature and attention to detail, he won the attention of the owner of the company. They became great business associates and comrades for many years.

He and Minnie spent several decades working for Jewish companies that prided themselves on being precise and meticulous. In retrospect, they passed down those ways to me indirectly.

If there is ever a time in my life I am not being thorough it is because the situation does not interest me. But, for the most part, I am the sort who gets completely immersed in activities and business events to correct or resolve any issues that may come down the pike.

Mickey and Minnie have known this about me since I was a child and this is the reason why they would entrust certain important documents to me because they know I have the ability to be a meticulous scientist at large.

They know that it is my nature to get down to the nitty-gritty when something does not feel right. Agatha Christie has nothing on me when it comes to dotting all the “Is” and crossing the “Ts”.

Over the years my haters have translated my blunt explanations of our strained relationship as me not caring for them and being anti-parents. They would be so wrong because people do not emulate others they do not admire and care for.

I just felt they did not have to be so harsh with me. I was a genuinely good kid. Deep down I am a very sensitive soul who gets easily offended by unjust chastisements.

As I have matured I now understand that the reason why they were so hard on me was that they became privy to the antics of some of my cousins. They were not sure if I was following their examples by going in the wrong direction.

Since I was estranged from them for many years it was only natural that they would be skeptical and cautious as you cannot be too careful these days.

I believe that I am within my rights to feel upset about the fact that they threw me over the coals for other persons who could not hold a candle to me.

It was like being the most favorite and loved person and then being shunned like a leper. I cannot think of anyone who would not feel hurt and disappointed being treated this way.

It is true that I have lauded my biological father over the years, but I have also chatted up both Mickey & Minnie positively when it counted. Never once did I feel that I had to sway in one direction or the other to belong.

In my mind, I felt there were enough love, kindness, and compassion for everyone. When it came to me, they often chose to focus on the parts of me that they could not love, understand, or comprehend when there are so many other glorious sides to my personality that lights up their lives. 🙂

PS. Even if they tell you I excite their lives in a tikkie-tikkie-boom-boom kind of way, they know I bring a certain amount of drama they enjoy and crave!