You Call That An Apology?

Things have been pretty quiet at home lately.  When you aren’t really talking to each other, it’s hard to argue.  It seems easier to just say the minimum required rather than invite a fight.  And share an opinion?  That’s just crazy talk!  No way would you do that without expecting to be jumped on and accused of being mean, nasty or psycho.  Even the smallest of comments can be twisted into a major act of war.

League night sucked last night -- I wasn’t the only one struggling and having trouble adjusting to improve my game.  Our whole team was complaining because we couldn’t find our groove.  It was frustrating and we all made comments voicing this frustration, but Mr. Hyde decided I needed to be called out for my comments. 

He actually pulled me into the bar area and dressed me down saying how everyone was tired of hearing my complaints and how it would have been possible to win the first game and I shouldn’t have "given up."  I hadn’t "given up" or expressed my frustration any more than our other teammates, but he stormed off after yelling at me not even listening to my stunned and sputtering explanations.

I felt like he had used me as his verbal punching bag. He was frustrated with his own game so he pulled me aside so he could vent his frustration by yelling at me, without regard for the fact he left a battered ego behind when he stormed off.

We eventually all adjusted enough to get through the rest of the evening fairly well and Mr. Hyde’s next two games were well over his average.  I guess unleashing his frustration did wonders for his game.  I didn’t just sit there and take it, I told him I didn’t appreciate the way he treated me and I thought he should be more supportive and encouraging.  He said he’d told me how to "fix it" but since I didn’t want to do it his way, then he had every right to be angry.  I just kept my mouth shut the rest of the evening afraid to utter even one small complaint lest he yell at me in FRONT of the team.