Learning to say No

Jameson and I recently went to visit Barnes and Noble. This is obviously a rather dangerous store for us. Even thought we go 'just to play with the toy trains for Packer' we always end up fighting for browsing time while the other vaguely watches our son (usually reading something). We ALWAYS end up with purchases. Our home library has gotten a little out of hand. Jameson had the audacity to suggest that we sell some books. It was a short conversation, and I sincerely hope he learned his lesson.

Anyway, he put a book in my hands that was really a joke, but we ended up buying it. How to say NO without Feeling Guilty by Connie Hatch and Patti Breitman. Jameson often jokes that I have no clue how to say no. Anyway, this got me thinking about when I overload myself and why and if I feel badly about any of it.

It kind of came to a point when on a recent trip to Bicknell, Utah (yeah, I know -- could we get weirder or more beautiful Southern Utah?) and we visited a restaurant called Slackers. First, I want to say, it was AWESOME. Anyway, they had these fried green beans. They were all I wanted and I seriously had this weird battle in myself that went something like this:

Normal Katie: I really want those fried green beans.
Crazy Katie: But no one else is getting them, and that is weird. Get something else. Chicken.
Normal Katie: Well, I guess I could get that, but it is way more expensive.
Crazy Katie: WEIRDO! Who cares, look more normal.
Normal Katie: But I am not that hungry.
Crazy Katie: RED RUM!!

Remember this whole conversation happened in my head (yeah, I know, I'm nuts). I ended up getting the green beans, and guess what? No one cared, and everyone tried one. They were delicious. So I am trying to assert my actual wants and needs at least known. That way if I am a people pleaser (I am), I can be a little more aware of reining in the crazy and making sure that I say yes to what I want and no to what I don't.

I will keep you posted. (get it? because it is a blog post?)

Sountrack I Listened to While Writing this: Wicked, Original Broadway Cast