A Bit of a Brat

 When I was  a very little child I remember running to greet my dad coming home from work. I was not yet in school, so I didn't know how to read or spell anything  yet. My dad would greet me by saying "S-P-O-I-L-E-D  B-R-A-T." I would spell it back to him and I knew what it spelled and that it was our joke, even as a very young child.

I can hear that spelling in my head and although I never really owned that label as true, I guess over the years I have learned how to be a brat when it served me.  Recently I found myself sitting beside a woman I didn't want to talk to.  She had intentionally chosen to sit by me and was by my standards grilling me.  I could have told her a thing or two or three, but I chose to remain a woman of mystery.  I didn't want her all up in my business.  But, I didn't want to be rude.   I wanted to be polite, but I didn't want to give her personal information in part because of who she might tell.  I imagine that the royal family feels this way. LOL.

She somehow knew that I had birds, I am not sure how because we had never spoken before, so someone told her. Too many people all up in my business in my opinion. She asked to see pictures of the birds, so I pulled out the tablet and showed her. She asked me a lot of questions about whether they talked or sat on my finger or had toys. No, no, yes. She asked if I loved them and I had to say that I  didn't.  I never really was able to get them tamed. Basically I was a downer about the birds, trying to discourage her conversation about them.  Eventually she gave up and moved along. But, I knew that I was being a brat about the birds.  I didn't want to tell her it was none of her business or that I didn't want to talk to her, so I was a brat.

I have pondered whether I was wrong to be a brat in that instance.  I have concluded that it was better than being rude or getting up and moving away.  I am not often a brat, at least not intentionally, but I proved to myself and to anyone else who was listening, I suppose, that I can be a brat when I want to be.  Maybe Dad would be proud, and maybe not.