Only Creeps Say “karen”

Photo by Robert Zunikoff, courtesy of Unsplash

If you Google what the slang term “karen” means, there’s just so much about it and so many ways to analyze it, and misuse what it originally meant. In a nutshell, nowadays, it’s any middle-aged white woman who complains to a manager because she feels entitled. We’ve gotten to that point where the term is so misused (like the words “narcissism” and “literally”) it’s derogatorily tossed at ANY woman who complains.  It’s a stupid word that translates to “Shut the fuck up — WOMAN!” It is downright nasty — and creepy! And merely another way loser men try to belittle women; taking us back to the 1800s. Way to go, assholes!

I get it, you think you’re such a big deal sticking up for a worker who doesn’t do his/her job right? Well, let me ask you, why should a person who works in service be cuddled like a little lamb? If you are hired to do a job of service your job is to do it with a smile on your face. Don’t take your shit out on customers!

This is where society has gone wrong — big time. Long gone is the saying, “The customer is always right.” We’re living in times where it’s frustrating to even call on a manager because no one has the balls to train their employees correctly. People of service can do whatever the hell they want — and get away with it. They will lie and so will the manager in order to not look bad. No one wants to man up and be responsible for screwing up.

That is bad news. You can’t even say it’s “bad business” because no one cares. From the largest corporation down to small businesses, everyone has to be right. All. The. Time.

And you have the self-righteous stander-bys  chiming in, “Calm down KAREN” which makes the situation no better. Doing that makes you a BULLY! Why don’t YOU calm down and mind your own business? No, man’s gotta be a “hero” — but the “hero” has it all wrong. Making someone feel small just because she spoke up for herself makes you a ZERO! And a CREEP!  In fact, anyone who jumps on the “karen” bandwagon is a CREEP and here’s why:

• Mentally stable people don’t call names. If there’s a problem, they talk to each other like adults.
• Mentally stable people don’t randomly attack others. They mind their own business.
• Good service is a part of the job. A worker is representing a company. When you go to an establishment, you deserve good service. No one should be called names for calling a manager if service is not up to par. In fact, going to management will help the establishment develop and grow. You learn from mistakes, so put on your big boy pants and LEARN!
• Using a sexist/ageist term in general means you are a loser. Sexism and ageism is a thing. Educate yourself.
• Women should not be silenced. Simple as that.

So, you have a choice. Do you want to continue acting like a big baby and calling others names? Or do you want to up your game and learn that it’s not cool to judge people?

And, to the ladies, I say, continue to stick up for yourself if you’re being treated poorly. Don’t let men try to silence and shame you by name-calling. They are fools. You know who you are!

Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta can be reached at: maryannechristiano@gmail.com.

She is available for blogging, ghost writing, writing. She is also available for book signings and motivational speaking engagements. In addition to Love Cats, she is the author of the following books :

“Be (Extra)Ordinary: 10 Ways to Become Your Own Hero” is available on Amazon. To get your paperback or Kindle version, visit:Be (Extra)Ordinary

“I Don’t Want to Be Like You” is available on Amazon. To get your paperback, Kindle or audio copy, go here: I Don’t Want To Be Like You

Her fiction book “Love Cats” second printing is now available, under the pen name Krystianna Mercury, from Pink Flamingo. You can purchase it here: Love Cats

Visit Maryanne’s You Tube Channel here: Be YOUnique

 

When to Fire Your Chiropractor (or Acupuncturist)

I’ve been been a fan of both chiropractic care and acupuncture for many years. I alternate between both. Chiro is great because you’re basically in and out. Acupuncture is nice if you like to relax. Since I started using both treatments, I went through many doctors.

Finding a good doctor is like finding a good hairstylist; it takes time. And sometimes you outgrow each other. There is nothing wrong with that. I believe that as a customer, you should be satisfied. Aside from someone not doing a satisfying job, there are other reasons you may want to consider finding someone else. Here’s a few….

1. He/she is too popular. This should be a good thing, right? Not necessarily. I used to go to someone I really liked. And everyone else liked her too. Whenever I went for a treatment, I’d be waiting at least 15 minutes, sometimes 20. To me, this isn’t cool. Also, the place became to run like an assembly line — in, wait, needles, out; while you could hear full conversations going on in the room next to you. What was once a relaxing spiritual experience with new age music, and a sweet recovery turned into a rush job and not feeling as healed as I remembered. Then one time as she was treating me, and part of my clothing was off, she opened the door to talk to someone. I found this to be rude — and the last straw. I stopped going to her. There were way too many people in the office at one time and I felt more like a number than a patient.
2. He/she talks too much. This should be a red flag from the get go. When COVID19 lock-down began, I took it upon myself to try to get a long-time kink in my arm fixed. I tried someone who shared a space with another chiropractor I once used. From the first treatment it was constant chatter from her. Talking about things SHE wanted to talk about. Shallow bits, from one dull topic to another. I had visions of her accidentally snapping my neck and killing me because she wasn’t paying attention to what she was doing. I didn’t feel comfortable; or happy. But I figured I wouldn’t be judgmental and gave her a chance and continued going to her twice a week for about a month. It was wrong not to trust my intuition because the last day, my lower back was killing me! It took me three days of doing stretches from a You Tube doctor that I trusted before the back pain subsided.
3. He/she seems to have a crush on you. It hasn’t happened in over 10 years, but yes, I did have a chiropractor that had a crush on me. It was uncomfortable and I simply told him I wasn’t going back to him. It’s a shame because he was a great doctor and really helped me.
4. He/she insults you. I think it’s unprofessional for a professional to belittle you. Whether it’s your clothes, weight, or what you look like, this is not cool and none of his or her business. You can always insult them back because of course no one is perfect and we can all say something about each other if we choose to. However, some of us are way too classy to stoop to such a low level. Or we just naturally see only the good in others and would never think to put someone down. But unfortunately, this has happened often over the years. Recently I found an acupuncturist I adored. Then one day she pointed out that one of my eyes were bigger than the other and made a big deal about it. REALLY?! Doesn’t everyone have one eye bigger than the other? I thought this was weird. It couldn’t really count as an insult, but more of an observation. But why make someone feel self-conscious? Also, when I had my first book published, I was very proud and showing practically everyone. Hey, it was my first book! The chiropractor I was using at the time wanted to see the book, so I brought it in to show him. He had the gall to say, “Do you really think this will go anywhere?” I had no answer at the time. It wasn’t a nice thing to say to an aspiring author. His comment put me in a bad mood. Maybe nothing would come out of it? But it DID! That first book had many sales; I got to officiate a wedding for a fan; I was on blog talk radio all over the country, plus regular radio too! I’ve inspired young people to become writers. It led to me becoming a public speaker. I also received royalty checks until the book went out of print (and it’s being sold on Amazon for almost a grand!) I’m now on my fifth book, and it can be purchased in Barnes & Noble. I’ve come a long way since that first self-published book, which went pretty far. And where is that chiropractor? Oh, he moved into a bigger office. Good for him, but he doesn’t have me as a client anymore.
5. Distance. There are acupuncturists and chiropractors (and even massage therapists) out there who I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, but haven’t seen in awhile simply because of distance. Maybe I used them when I had more time to travel. Or maybe I used them while I was working on a project in their area and it was convenient at the time. Or I moved. But for whatever reason, they are no longer in an appropriate distance to me. When you get out of treatment, you shouldn’t be sitting in traffic, or driving far. You should be relaxing.

Do any of these things resonate with your choice in leaving your holistic health care practitioner? Share your stores in the comments section!

Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta can be reached at: maryannechristiano@gmail.com.

She is available for blogging, ghost writing, writing. She is also available for book signings and motivational speaking engagements. She is the author of the following books :

“Be (Extra)Ordinary: 10 Ways to Become Your Own Hero” is available on Amazon. To get your paperback or Kindle version, visit: https://www.amazon.com/Be-Extra-Ordinary-Ways-Become/dp/1733546227

“I Don’t Want to Be Like You” is available on Amazon. To get your paperback, Kindle or audio copy, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Want-Be-Like-You/dp/1726273261

“The Gypsy Smiled” is available on Amazon. To get your paperback or Kindle version, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Gypsy-Smiled-Maryanne-Christiano-Mistretta-ebook/dp/B074VC7MT9