PuzzledHeart

Don't engage with the crazy.

A story. When I was around eight or nine, my nanny got really angry at us for liking ice cream. She was so angry, that she decided to serve us mint chocolate chip ice cream to teach us a lesson.

I can't speak for my sister, but that was the first time things really clicked for me. I thought to myself "This is crazy." I also thought, "Well, I'm a kid, so of COURSE I love ice cream." And I thought, "What kind of person punishes kids by serving them ice cream?"

So while she gave us the ugly stare, I pretended to act all sorry and sorrowful for eating this mint chocolate chip ice cream. I realized that to get out of this certain pickle, I needed to just shut up, but look miserable enough to make her think that her punishment was doing us good.

It was such empowering moment for me, because I think it was the first time that I thought to myself "Jesus this woman is crazy and there's nothing I can say to make her un-crazy." And "I'm not a bad person, I am just a kid enjoying this ice cream." And, "if I just play along, this moment will pass just like any other. I just need to keep quiet and keep on savoring every last bit of this, and one day I will get out of here."

I love mint chocolate chip ice cream.