My Thankless Tasks

One of the things that I've been getting tired of is doing a bunch of work
and getting no kudos for it.  It's been years since it felt like I had any
type of positive feedback from people and that's why one of My Resolutions this
year was to be a selfish prick.  Asking my help for things this year are
much more difficult than in years' past.

We had a thing on Friday night (which I really didn't want to go to, but thought
about dealing with my wife all weekend and how much easier that may be if I
succumb and go to church with her on a Friday night.  Of course, I was more
than a little pissed when most people didn't show because of the hockey game. 
How did I forget about the hockey game!?!?!?!  Whatever the case, I was
there and after a while "accusation #1" came to the forefront.

I wasn't volunteering to help out with the kids in the nursery.

See, it used to be that we could take our kids to the church nursery and either
leave them there or stay there with them (and depending on how they were acting,
it could go either way).  Now, we need to go through a criminal record
check, attend a class on spotting abused children, and fill out a dozen or so
forms in order to "volunteer" our time.

I don't have time for all of that.

So, I opted not to volunteer anymore.  And now I'm labeled a very mean
person for not taking the time to help out.  Screw 'em.

In all the years I've put into the church, I've received a 'thank you' once. 
And that was for contributing to the finance committee.  Honestly, I think
they thanked me because I told them that being on a board with so many
indecisive people drove me crazy.  Not once was I thanks for the Saturday
mornings I'd get up at 5 to cook breakfast for 40-50 men.  Not once was I
thanks for the year I taught Sunday school.  Not once was I thanked for the
hours I put in at the nursery or on the board.  Not once.

And now they have the gall to be mad at me for not volunteering.  Like I
said: screw 'em.  I'm burnt out and have more than enough.

I've stated in numerous blogs before that being a father and a husband is a
thankless task and that there's no way around it, but last night was a killer
and I'm not talking to my wife right now.  It was the big year end banquet
for my department and my boss asked DQ (aka F-Bomb), Whiner and I to stand and
be thanked for the work we've put in over the past year.  I was a little
embarrassed because he asked me to stand first in front of the 200+ people. 
DQ had already complained about me "sucking up" to my boss when he asked me to
be his "go-to-guy" for the evening, while the two of them had several tasks
outlined weeks ago for them to take care of.  Whiner was smart enough to
figure out that it's not really sucking up if your boss ASKS YOU to do something
and you do it.  It's called DOING YOUR JOB.  Anyway, we all stood and
got our applause for our work and that was all good and well.  The party
itself, however, was scheduled for right after the banquet and my wife refused
to let me go ---even for a 5-minute "appearance."  I could only go if I
"got a drink to go" and let her drive home.  So, instead of 5 minutes to go
over to the party and get a couple of slaps on the back as a 'thank you' form
all the kids I've been working with over the past year, I left.  And for
the next few weeks, I have to explain to each and every one of them why I wasn't
there.  That's 200+ people who are going to ask.

And 5 minutes would've made us all happy.