Mean People Suck

During the wee hours of this morning, I was verbally attacked via a comment on my facebook status.

In all fairness to the other girl, I don't know her very well. It may have been her way of "joking around," or some kind of odd playful chiding. I went to high school with her and we never really associated with one another, though I always had the distinct feeling that she didn't like me. Or thought I was somehow really dumb or superficial- not caring about anything but stupid crap. All of course, based on her assumptions about me because I happened to be a boy crazy cheerleader. And all of these are, of course, my own assumptions about what she thought about me because she was never all too friendly or nice to me and I never really took the time to get to know her. Alas, see where assumptions get us? Absolutely nowhere.

Anyway, I digress. The insult was this:

My status at the time said: Lauren _____ is listening to glorious classical Christmas music, drinking hot chocolate and admiring the tree she and CB just decorated.

Her comment in the wee hours of the morning was:

How very stepford of you. congrats.

Upon reading this at one something this morning, I was mortified. Stepford? All I know about that word is that it is meant to be an offensive way of describing a wife. So I googled it. Urbandictonary.com told me that "stepford wife is "used to describe a servile, compliant, submissive, spineless wife who happily does her husband's bidding and serves his every whim dutifully"

or

Can also be used to describe a wife who is cookie-cutter & bland in appearance and behavior. Subscribes to a popular look and dares not deviate from that look.

I don't mean to be particular here, but neither of those is very flattering to me. The "congrats" part on the end especially made it snappy, as if I meant to sound self-involved and super proud of myself. If this had come from a close friend, I probably wouldn't have been so offended, but seeing as how it came from someone I hardly know I was indeed personally offended.

What does she even know about me?

Does she know my husband cooks most meals?

Does she know that I love teaching and working with kids?

Does she know that my heart aches for those affected by genocide and will vehemently oppose it and all other forms of hatred for as long as I live?

Does she know that I believe in loving people as they are?

Does she know that my husband is my best friend, not someone for whom I am completely servile and spineless?

Does she know that I desire to genuinely make a difference in this world?

Does she know that I happen to love Christmas and enjoy decorating for it every year and simply like to relish the moment?

Does she know that I have feelings?

Does she know that I have never had anything against her?

I would like to say that I took the high road in this situation and simply ignored it. But I didn't.

I wrote back something snappy and probably equally as childish. What is it about meanness that brings out the worst reactions in us, and why is it so effing hard to take the high road?