Time to grow a pair

The most unusual colored flower (purple) in
the Butterfly Garden in LaGrange. 

As a child, I was physically abused by my mother. For example, when I was five I wet the bed. The next morning, my mother beat me with a belt and then tied my hands and feet with a rope and made me lay in my urine-soaked bed all day. Can there be another term for this than abuse? There are many more examples I could write about, yet as I matured I forgave my mother, realizing that she did the best she could with the parenting skills she had. Even though I've forgiven her I can't forget what she did to me. As a result, I've always suffered from what is termed a "people pleasing personality." To this day, before I do anything I worry how other people will judge what I do or say.

The first paragraph is a prelude to what will happen tomorrow. I'm fairly sure I'm going to speak my mind (regardless of how I'll be judged) and then I'm going to resign from my final Board of Directors position. I literally have no support and am blamed for everything that goes wrong. It rains during the entirety of an event, yet publicity is blamed for the lack of attendance. Not once, but twice. I have 30+ years of experience in the field of marketing communications, yet the opinion of a non-degreed know-it-all is valued more than what I say? I keep quiet because I wonder how other people will judge what I do or say. This is crazy!

Today I'm creating a plan for tomorrow's discussion. A man much wiser than I am told me more than 20 years ago, "If it's not fun, don't do it." Walter's words are going to be foremost in my mind tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. as I stand up for myself.