A Way With Words

My husband often smiles indulgently at me and says, "You're such a drama queen!" On days when he is more irritable, he just says, "Never mind the drama."

He just looked at me and melodramatically mimicked the expression on my face as I type this.

I can't honestly say that this bothers me. Of course I'm a drama queen. Always have been. Blame my parents if you will, for putting me in various spotlights, and making me perform in front of audiences both private (the living room after-dinner whose-child-is-more-talented competitions) and public (school plays, musicals, debates). Add to that the fact that I have a downright dangerous, strongly subconscious memory for lines from books, movies and TV shows, and an embarrassing fondness for repeating them, to say nothing of the fact that I am a woman, and you have the perfect recipe for a drama queen.

Now, this doesn't happen often, but sometimes the drama threatens to turn into a melodrama. That is when my husband really doesn't know whether to laugh or be alarmed. He decides on neither and ends up annoyed instead, because (obviously) melodrama isn't genuine, and no sane real person gives in to that kind of behaviour.

Well, I'm working on it - cut someone who calls herself Shakespeare's Sister a little slack, won't you?