Saturday, April 12, 2008

I have to get this off my chest - at IQA and side rant

I will post Day 3 of the IQA show in a bit, but this has bothered me all day.

To start this off right, in my class last night on Tyvek, I sat at the back of the class, and next to me sat a latecomer, and we were the last two that got anything handed out. We were handed our Tyvek, and later in the class I heard her tell the teacher that she did not get the Tyvek since she was at the back. At that point, I didn't think much of it, but I was annoyed- I know full well she got that Tyvek, and just scammed her way into more.

Today's class is on foiling, and I was the "teacher's pet", meaning I volunteered ahead of time to be the helper to take roll call, etc, so the teacher doesn't have to. We had a great time foiling away. This same woman who sat to my right last night is now sitting in the row in front of me. Several people were in the same class from the night before and we were having a great time. I brought a rubber stamp of a pear, and it was a big hit, since my samples using the pear came out so well. At about an hour left, I packed all of my materials up in a plastic bin I use to tote my things to class, but left the lid off. I traded half a sheet of purple foil I had in my sample pack for a half a sheet of pink with another classmate. Since we had so much time left, I decided to mess around with a glue gun and my sheet of copper colored foil. When I returned to my seat about 10 minutes later, I wanted to accent the copper with gold foil. I looked to the top of my box where I left my samples of foil. It was gone. I tore the box apart, to no avail. I asked if anyone near me picked up any foil that fell on the floor? No, everyone says. Some ask what's wrong, and I explain my foil is missing. Several start helping me look. We all turn around and survey the stations I had been in in the room, no luck.

At this point, I'm pissed. I say so all close by seatmates can hear, but not casuing a scene, "that if they wanted it that bad, they could have asked and I would have given it to them" and "I hope when they look at those pears in the foil they think of what they have done". I even say "You know, I paid for this class too. This is wrong on so many levels." and my coup-de-grace "I believe Karma will get whoever did this ten fold." Now this woman has the nerve to say "I believe that too". Everyone is sympathetic. But it was gone, so there was nothing to be done about it now. The class seems somewhat over and my seatmates leave.

As teacher's pet, I begin cleaning up as people are filing out. I unplug one of the irons in the back of the room, and clear off that table except for the cooling iron. I come back to the ironing table a minute later, and I see the woman leaving the room (huh? again?) and on the table near the iron is a stack of foil. My foil. With the pears visible. It was not there before. And after checking the foil, the half sheet of purple I did not trade away is still not there.

Now I know someone will say that I must not have seen it there, and maybe I misplaced it, but I was not the only one looking. And there was another stack of foil that was there that I returned to someone else on that very table witht he cooling iron, so I am certain it was cleared, and we commiserated that it was my classmates' foil and not mine. I know it was that woman. In my heart, I know it.

Now, If I see her again it will take ALL of my strength of will not to cuss her out right there. Someone told me to bless her, because nothing is more a kick in the shin than killing them with kindness when they know they were wrong. I'll tell you my thought in a bit.

But this is the real meat of it. When have you ever heard of a QUILTER who did something like that? I mean, I have met a few curmudgeonly quilters, but NEVER a thief or a liar quilter. How sad must your life be that you steal supplies from other students when taking a QUILTING CLASS?

My husband and many other family members will tell you that I am not as nice as I may seem in person, and no one is more protective of her "things" than me. My stuff is MY STUFF. I am the kind of person who yells at children to get off my lawn, and glares out the window when a car goes by that I don't like the look of. I am very protective of my stuff! I am the Queen of Mean! I even have a tiara now.

In the end, this really, really hurt me. I felt safe in the quilting class enough to not lock up all of my things like I normally would. I was doing everything I could to help other classmates out as teacher's pet. And that was my reward? For a good chunk of time, I was heartbroken, thinking I was some sort of target. I was weak, this was my fault, I should have not been so nice to everyone and hoarded my things in the back of the room where my back is to no one.

But now.... I know it was the action of sad person who has nothing better in life than to steal what was someone else's and lie to good and giving people for more than what everyone else got.

I hope it tortures her everyday to know that I know what she did. And by writing this I am releasing this negative energy out and I am going to move on. Thanks for "listening".

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have met your "Queen of Mean" and she is fearsome. But good for you for addressing it then and there and even though you're still stewing, at least you got some of it back. Karma will get her in the end. And you come off as the better person. Don't let her win by robbing you of your comfort zone in classes or in the quilting community. After all, it's the exception that makes the rule!

Carolyn B said...

Much as we like to think quilters are all wonderful people, let's face it, some are idiots and wrong-headed and out for what they can get away with. May their paths be strewn with dropped pins and needles! (OK that will probably bring me bad karma ;o)

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

I know how you feel. I gave a workshop for my own guild and during our lunch break someone (in the guild?) lifted all of my 8 x 10 color photos and several kits. We announced at the next meeting that everyone should check their stuff to see if they picked them up accidentally. No one ever confessed but they were GONE. And my own guild too! Now I don't trust as easily...