Being Mary Poppins

There are different layers of ourselves we choose to let people see.  

Like the Onion quote in Shrek - 

Shrek: Ogres are like onions.

Donkey: They stink?

Shrek: Yes. No.
Donkey: Oh, they make you cry.
Shrek: No.
Donkey: Oh, you leave em out in the sun, they get all brown, start sproutin’ little white hairs.
Shrek: No. Layers. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers.
Donkey: Oh, you both have layers. Oh. You know, not everybody like onions.

When I did my teacher training I was asked in the first week if I was always like Mary bl**dy Poppins?!

(Nobody had ever likened me to a character before and coming from the childhood I had, I was quite flattered it wasn't something from the Addams Family!)

But since then I've often been asked if I'm usually like Mary Poppins - sometimes in a sarcastic way, but many more times following a situation where I've stepped outside comfort to help someone.

It's easier to respond when someone is horrid or in a rubbish situation by giving back crap, but I do this the best way is to be nice..to give your 'best side', your nice layer because the person giving out nastiness is doing so due to feeling nasty about something else in their lives and they probably aren't aware of that right now.

So.

Yes, I'm like Mary Poppins when people need me.

I try to be helpful - although at no time do I try to be Practically Perfect, in any way.