When I was a baby I had this sheet that my mom would spread on the floor before she put me down for tummy time. I inherited it when I got older and on one corner is a picture of a cart driver trying to pull a mule, who has sat on his haunches, forward. Below the picture says T.A. is as stubborn as a mule. I know my mom thought she was being funny, but I think that picture actually programmed my little brain. Don’t want to do something, sit down, put my ears back, and wait it out.
Whenever someone encourages me too strongly to do something I resist. Examples you ask?
A) I had a boyfriend who was obsessed with the movie Bend it like Beckham. When he first brought it up to me, I was like, sounds fun we should watch it. Every time he talked about it though, I got a little more resistant to seeing the movie. Every “you have to watch this” made me more reluctant. Finally I flat out refused. After we broke up, I got a bottle of my favorite wine and watched it on netflix. LOL Pretty darn entertaining actually.
B) Someone once gave me a copy of Dan Brown’s the Davinci Code for Christmas with the note “Read this immediately so I can discuss it with you.” Um, what? You gave me work to do for you, for Christmas? My ass. Still haven’t read that book.
So when everyone and their brother started telling me I need to read Stephen King’s On Writing, you can imagine what happened. Ears went back. I really, really didn’t wanna uh.
Finally I gave in. I did. I read the book. It was actually quite good. I found it super amusing. I have some thoughts about some of his writing advice which I will share over the next few weeks.
Does this mean I am going to read Dan Brown’s book next? Laughing. Not on your life.
So what about you? Stubborn or pliable? Are you grateful when people try to force you into things or irritated?
T.A. Henry 
Super-irritated when people say they are planning to get me out of my comfort zone like it is a good thing.
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I like suggestions on what I ‘should’ read or do, but I don’t like to be pressured on timing or the exact way I go about doing it. If I’m not interested, I will just flat out say, “Yeah, I’m not interested in reading that.” I don’t continue to snub it. I just yank the Band-Aid off and be done with it.
Although, I still haven’t read Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’ and God knows it’s been pushed upon me many, many times. So perhaps my stubborn streak has been struck on that one after all.
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I was quite peeved with ‘On Writing’.
‘How nice to be him,’ I thought; peevishly. ‘All best-sellery, and feeling free to write a book so that all the rest of us have to give up our ‘ly’ words!’
Put no info dumps at the beginning of your story! Bah! The most annoying thing about this book- although I’ve only heard it quoted by others, mind you- is that he was right. So- now that I’ve had to clean up my writing style when I didn’t want to, and then admit that he was right- No. I haven’t read the book. I didn’t have to actually read it. Some sweet and generous friend of mine gave it to me recently. I picked it up with two fingers and a smile of real gratitude for my friend. I intended to read it. I may do so, one day. But I seem to have misplaced it…
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laughing. Having actually read the book, I now hear all the places where people misquote him or incompletely quote him. It’s amusing.
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I can go both ways. The more times I hear someone say, “You have to read/watch this!” the more reluctant I get to actually do so. Sometimes they’re right. Sometimes they’re wrong.
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Yes! I think I feel as though if it were really that good you wouldn’t have to shove it down my throat, it could stand on it’s own two feet.
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Yeah, commands stoke my inner rebel….
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See, everyone has that response. I think people are secretly trying to sabotage themselves when they do all this insisting.
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“No, really, you MUST finish these cookies.”
Nope. Didn’t work. hahaha
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ROFL
It doesn’t work on yourself.
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WELL NOW YOU TELL ME. lol
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Here, let me help. “Eat all the cookies. Every last damn one, so you can tell me how they are.”
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As I recall, way back in time, when I behaved that way my mother accused me of being contrary. Now, I try not to be, but it ain’t easy. Then there is this thing called karma….
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