High-Maintenance People

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

One thing I've learned again and again is that when someone seems very high-maintenance and exacting, they are unlikely to be satisfied with anything no matter how hard you try. They will try to make their happiness your responsibility, and are rarely happy with anything less than the perfect realization of the image in their mind. As a result I have learned to walk away from people who require too much work. I can tell they aren't going to be happy in the long run, and that they will blame me for it.

Walking away is hard when you think you can help make someone happy, but most of the time it's just not worth it. They have already decided to be disappointed with anything less than perfection, and life is imperfect.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

It's hard to do such things. I've had friends that I knew were high maintenance, and knew that our friendships were toxic and that they were bringing me down with them.

Knowing all of this, it was still very hard to cut them out of my life. Even know I contact them every so often just to see how they are doing and am happy in the knowledge that I don't have to hear it on a regular basis.

[Doktor Howl]

Some high maintenance people are indeed worth the effort...But it IS an effort, make no mistake.  You find yourself sympathyzing with them of reassuring them or catering to them all the time, and it begins to wear.  The well is deep, but not infinitely so.

Trick is, it's hard to tell when you're being high maintenance, yourself.  It's easy to see in others, of course, just like anything else.

So I tend to give a little bit of slack in this area, because they are probably just as blind to themselves doing it as I probably am if I'm doing it.

[Jenne]

Even worse is the high maintenance person who THINKS they are low.  Not to borrow too much from "When Harry Met Sally," but that is THE worst--someone who won't even admit they are picky assed perfectionists and in fact advertizes they are actually LOW maintenance. 

I'm married to one of the above.  Pain in the ass, I tell you--you are always falling short, and you have to really distance yourself from their constant disappointment.

[Doktor Howl]

Even worse is the high maintenance person who THINKS they are low.  Not to borrow too much from "When Harry Met Sally," but that is THE worst--someone who won't even admit they are picky assed perfectionists and in fact advertizes they are actually LOW maintenance. 

I'm married to one of the above.  Pain in the ass, I tell you--you are always falling short, and you have to really distance yourself from their constant disappointment.

See, that's why they invented cricket bats, Jenne.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Even worse is the high maintenance person who THINKS they are low.  Not to borrow too much from "When Harry Met Sally," but that is THE worst--someone who won't even admit they are picky assed perfectionists and in fact advertizes they are actually LOW maintenance. 

I'm married to one of the above.  Pain in the ass, I tell you--you are always falling short, and you have to really distance yourself from their constant disappointment.

[Jenne]

Even worse is the high maintenance person who THINKS they are low.  Not to borrow too much from "When Harry Met Sally," but that is THE worst--someone who won't even admit they are picky assed perfectionists and in fact advertizes they are actually LOW maintenance. 

I'm married to one of the above.  Pain in the ass, I tell you--you are always falling short, and you have to really distance yourself from their constant disappointment.

See, that's why they invented cricket bats, Jenne.

Ha!  I needs me onadoze.

S'ok, Nevvie Twid.  I got it handled most days.

[Doktor Howl]

Even worse is the high maintenance person who THINKS they are low.  Not to borrow too much from "When Harry Met Sally," but that is THE worst--someone who won't even admit they are picky assed perfectionists and in fact advertizes they are actually LOW maintenance. 

I'm married to one of the above.  Pain in the ass, I tell you--you are always falling short, and you have to really distance yourself from their constant disappointment.

See, that's why they invented cricket bats, Jenne.

Ha!  I needs me onadoze.

Jenne:  "How's your filet mignon?  I spent hours getting it ready."

Jenne's Foolish Husband:  "Meh.  My mother would have done it..."

*sound of a home run off husband's head*

Jenne:  "BAM!  WHAT NOW?  TOMORROW I'M GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOUP, ON ACCOUNT OF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY TEETH NOW!  HOW WOULD YOUR MAMA MAKE SOUP FOR YOUR NO TEEF ASS?  HUH?  THINGS JUST GOT REAL!  YEAH!"

I should probably have been a marriage counsellor.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Even worse is the high maintenance person who THINKS they are low.  Not to borrow too much from "When Harry Met Sally," but that is THE worst--someone who won't even admit they are picky assed perfectionists and in fact advertizes they are actually LOW maintenance. 

I'm married to one of the above.  Pain in the ass, I tell you--you are always falling short, and you have to really distance yourself from their constant disappointment.

See, that's why they invented cricket bats, Jenne.

Ha!  I needs me onadoze.

Jenne:  "How's your filet mignon?  I spent hours getting it ready."

Jenne's Foolish Husband:  "Meh.  My mother would have done it..."

*sound of a home run off husband's head*

Jenne:  "BAM!  WHAT NOW?  TOMORROW I'M GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOUP, ON ACCOUNT OF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY TEETH NOW!  HOW WOULD YOUR MAMA MAKE SOUP FOR YOUR NO TEEF ASS?  HUH?  THINGS JUST GOT REAL!  YEAH!"

I should probably have been a marriage counsellor.

[Jenne]

  I've uh had similar conversations before.  No lie.

He's still got his teefs, though.

[Doktor Howl]

  I've uh had similar conversations before.  No lie.

He's still got his teefs, though.

Does he really need them, though?  I mean, you have to be firm about this sort of shit, or next thing you know he'll be shitting on the rug and chewing up the furniture.

[Jenne]

  I've uh had similar conversations before.  No lie.

He's still got his teefs, though.

Does he really need them, though?  I mean, you have to be firm about this sort of shit, or next thing you know he'll be shitting on the rug and chewing up the furniture.

  Well, I personally like to chew and not always slurp my dinner through straws, so I guess I have to make allowances...

But yeah, it always kills other people when he complains he's pw'd.  He's the least pw'd person you'd ever meet on the planet.

[Succulent Plant]

Even worse is the high maintenance person who THINKS they are low.  Not to borrow too much from "When Harry Met Sally," but that is THE worst--someone who won't even admit they are picky assed perfectionists and in fact advertizes they are actually LOW maintenance. 

I'm married to one of the above.  Pain in the ass, I tell you--you are always falling short, and you have to really distance yourself from their constant disappointment.

See, that's why they invented cricket bats, Jenne.

Ha!  I needs me onadoze.

Jenne:  "How's your filet mignon?  I spent hours getting it ready."

Jenne's Foolish Husband:  "Meh.  My mother would have done it..."

*sound of a home run off husband's head*

Jenne:  "BAM!  WHAT NOW?  TOMORROW I'M GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOUP, ON ACCOUNT OF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY TEETH NOW!  HOW WOULD YOUR MAMA MAKE SOUP FOR YOUR NO TEEF ASS?  HUH?  THINGS JUST GOT REAL!  YEAH!"

I should probably have been a marriage counsellor.

[Luna]

Even worse is the high maintenance person who THINKS they are low.  Not to borrow too much from "When Harry Met Sally," but that is THE worst--someone who won't even admit they are picky assed perfectionists and in fact advertizes they are actually LOW maintenance. 

I'm married to one of the above.  Pain in the ass, I tell you--you are always falling short, and you have to really distance yourself from their constant disappointment.

See, that's why they invented cricket bats, Jenne.

Ha!  I needs me onadoze.

Jenne:  "How's your filet mignon?  I spent hours getting it ready."

Jenne's Foolish Husband:  "Meh.  My mother would have done it..."

*sound of a home run off husband's head*

Jenne:  "BAM!  WHAT NOW?  TOMORROW I'M GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOUP, ON ACCOUNT OF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY TEETH NOW!  HOW WOULD YOUR MAMA MAKE SOUP FOR YOUR NO TEEF ASS?  HUH?  THINGS JUST GOT REAL!  YEAH!"

I should probably have been a marriage counsellor.

Shit, you should have been MY marriage counselor.

[Cardinal Pizza Deliverance.]

Even worse is the high maintenance person who THINKS they are low.  Not to borrow too much from "When Harry Met Sally," but that is THE worst--someone who won't even admit they are picky assed perfectionists and in fact advertizes they are actually LOW maintenance. 

I'm married to one of the above.  Pain in the ass, I tell you--you are always falling short, and you have to really distance yourself from their constant disappointment.

See, that's why they invented cricket bats, Jenne.

Ha!  I needs me onadoze.

Jenne:  "How's your filet mignon?  I spent hours getting it ready."

Jenne's Foolish Husband:  "Meh.  My mother would have done it..."

*sound of a home run off husband's head*

Jenne:  "BAM!  WHAT NOW?  TOMORROW I'M GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOUP, ON ACCOUNT OF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY TEETH NOW!  HOW WOULD YOUR MAMA MAKE SOUP FOR YOUR NO TEEF ASS?  HUH?  THINGS JUST GOT REAL!  YEAH!"

I should probably have been a marriage counsellor.

And sell sporting equipment on the side.