Why do I always have to be the grownup?

Let me say first that in my general life, I am pretty nice. I have an attitude periodically, but I really think that I am generally a kind person, a person you would want as a friend, a person who will help you in any way possible. I can be rude and inconsiderate (can't we all), but I don't think I would have as many long-time and long-distance friends as I do if I were an evil person.

That said, in my volunteering at school (art, to be specific), I have been *nothing* but considerate. I follow the rules that have been set to make the lessons go smoothly, to make sure everyone has the supplies they need, yada yada yada. I use the calendar to schedule my classes, I don't double up when someone else has a lesson planned, I go out of my way to check and re-check so that I don't step on someone else's toes, I go above and beyond in the cleaning of the supplies so that they will be fresh and ready for the next class to use them. And you know, of course, that I regulary find that the supplies are in *terrible* shape because some of the other art teachers are not, shall we say, as considerate.

Can I just say that sometimes it sucks to be the one who tries to play by the rules?

Thsi morning I was scheduled to glaze ceramic projects with my class. I got there at the time I was scheduled on the calendar and couldn't find the supplies I needed. I thought maybe I had misunderstood where they were stored until a woman came in and said she needed more glaze. Huh? I was on the calendar. We are not supposed to double up on these things, particularly this project, because there are not enough supplies for two classes. Budgets, people. We are on one.

Anyway, I followed her into her class and got some supplies for my class and let her know that I was unhappy that she had double-booked on me. Her response was snippy, "Well, we're all trying to get our glazing done before the end of the month so sometimes we have to double up." Listen, lady: poor planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on my part.

Shortly thereafter she came into the kiln room and told me she needed some of the supplies I had taken back. Luckily for me the woman who supervises the ceramic projects was there and she told her to find her own supplies because she wasn't on the calendar and the supplies were technically mine. I proceeded to tell the supply usurper that I was not happy with her methods. I mean, really -- my phone number was on the calendar and it's in the paperwork we all got when we agreed to do the art stuff. Could she not have *called* me to check if I had a problem with this? And yes, I cussed at her. In front of 2 school volunteers and a 4 year old (mine, who has heard far worse than this out of my mouth).

So she went to the teacher, who came and told me off. Okay, fine, I shouldn't have cussed. But maybe I am a little justified in feeling annoyed by this, no? I mean, come on, she showed up early so she could get the supplies before me because she was probably pretty sure I'd be angry, or at the least, unhappy. She was pretty sneaky about it after all.

Then the teacher accosted MY son's teacher, who did not deserve this and had absolutely no clue what had happened. What is this, people, junior high? Really. So I apologized to son's teacher for being put in the line of fire undeservedly and told her my side of the story.

Was I wrong to curse? Okay, yes. It was inappropriate. Fine. But WHY is no one paying attention to the fact that if this woman had played by the rules this would not have happened? If she expects common courtesy perhaps she should also provide a little of it instead of coming off in a way she HAD to know would not be well received.

The art show is at the end of the month. According to the glazing guru, there is *plenty* of time for the firing to be done so that projects are ready for the show. Maybe the other woman could have called her (since we all have her number too) and asked if there was really a rush or if there was still time, again which would have allowed us to avoid the entire situation.

If I am wrong, I step up to the plate and apologize. Always. But I will not back down from my original position on this -- because I am sick and tired of being the one who is nice to the point that the rest of the world decides it's okay to treat me poorly. I will follow the rules, but by God, you'd better freakin' follow them, too. They're there for a reason -- to make everything go more smoothly for all of us. When someone thinks they're above the rules that is when we have problems. Anyone watched the news lately? Hellllooooooooo.