Right or Happy?

I am not a big talk show fan.....not that there is anything wrong with that.  I am just not home when they are on, and I was a HUGE fan at one time.  Being a mom that stayed home during my son's early years I often turned to the TV when I had a quiet moment.  It was my little guilty pleasure in a long day that involved whining, crying diapers and tantrums.  I treasured my "me time."  During nap time for years, or even when I ran my business out of my studio (garage) I was glued to the TV at certain times of the day:

• Oprah was my voice of reason
• Rosie and then Ellen were my humor
• Dr. Phil gave me a little dysfunctional family drama

Not so proud of the hundreds of hours I probably wasted watching TV, but hey I needed an outlet and it was before there were so many entertaining blogs to read.  It was also something else to discuss at the dreaded play dates at the park...I could only discuss my children's bowel movements so many times!

So, who knew after all those years my TV watching would come into play.  I was able to use my TV degree on my friends....well almost, I tried anyways:   

Last week a friend (let's call her #1) called me up to tell me "her side of the story" in a drama I will call "MisunderstandingofaSituationbetweenTwoMiddleAgedWomenWhoShould Know Better" - um kay?  Her daughter had a little um physical fight with another friends daughter.  Worst part is no one witnessed the situation she was so adamant about - only her daughter and the other girl, and yet she knew her daughter was telling the truth.  So, I sat and listened as she went over in great detail, pretending it was the first time I heard this tall tale. But for me the fun had already begun earlier in the week, I had already heard the story, from the other side......

My other friend (and she can be #2) called me up earlier in the week to tell me about an argument she was having with a friend (yep #1) and they were fighting over a fight their daughters had.  Again, something that she had not witnessed, a fight between her daughter and an other girl (uh huh #2's daughter) but she had not witnessed the big fight.....(am I repeating myself?  NO adult saw the fight).  And yet she (#2) was convinced her daughter was telling the truth and the other person's (#1) daughter was lying.  If you heard is spinning, do know so was mine.  When I explained this whole thing to my husband he rolled his eyes so far in the back of his head I thought he was going to fall over. 

After I heard #1's side of the story and #2's - and um, let's just say I think both their kids are lying and both Mom's are over-reacting.  I don't believe either one of them (the children) - they are KIDS and did not want to get in trouble!  Anyhoo, I tried to be supportive and said "oh wow" at the correct time and "my goodness" and "no she didn't!"  and then to both of them I said this;

"Who knows what happened, you were not there. You are assuming your child is telling the truth, as I am sure (#1 or #2 is) doing the same.  So tell me.... do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?"

Yet, unlike the an episode on the Dr. Phil Show (who I got the line from) neither Mom/friend seemed to hear me, nor did they answer me.  Was I a broken record?  Hell, when I said it I had no idea where I heard that before.  I just blurted it out and then had to Google it to find out who I was quoting. Had they heard this before?  Did they not care about my sanity or was the quote so part of American culture that it resonated with no one?  It has been almost three years since these TV shows with their coffee cup therapy and remember-able quotes were a part of my weekly routine....and sadly only that one Dr. Phil lesson stuck with me

I did not know the answer nor could I fix their argument, but I was tempted to go all High School on them and send them each notes saying, "Dear (#1 or #2) I am sorry, let's forget this and go shopping".  Now that the dust has settled the two are at least on "speaking terms" but neither seems to want to make-up or admit wrong.  I am going to print this post out and stick in a drawer so when I am in one of those female "situations" I can pull it out and maybe do the right thing.......no wait - the happy thing, be happy I mean, who cares about being right, right?

Original post at SV Moms, Jamie can also be found analyzing her business and why Oprah has not called her yet at JPD Mom.