Dear Roger: Arrogant Much?

Okay...I have a bit of an ego.I try not to let things get to me because I have kids to support and responsibilities, but I have worked hard to achieve the things I have achieved in my life, and in spite of a fuckton of hassles and adversity, I have achieved quite a bit. I have a college education. Roughly half a Masters degree. I could go back and finish it if I wanted to throw good money after bad, but I really dont see the point.I have been an EMT, a Firefighter, a Cop, a Forensic Investigator, and I have all kinds of certifications and awards for shit that does me absolutely no good at this point in my life, but you know what? I earned them. I have survived a nutball ex putting a gun to my head and a straight razor to my throat. Ive rolled a truck down the side of the I-40 in a blizzard 4 times and lived to walk away...sort of unscathed. I have not turned into a ravening, drug addicted, alcoholic loser like I have seen others do. I am (relatively), sane. I volunteer with several charitable organizations, I send my kids to church. I dont drink more than maybe one or two beers every few months, I dont smoke and I never do drugs. Im in good shape and I have managed to keep my children housed, clothed and provided for in a suitable manner. So, you can see why I think I have good reason to be pretty damn proud of myself at this point in my life. I choose to work a job that is significantly below my ability because it allows me to be home for my kids and it was fairly low stress. My last boss and I were friends and it was a relaxed atmosphere for me, as it should be, because this business it not rocket science.
Then things changed, as things tend to do. I hate change. I dont do change well. This new person seems to equate my choice of job with being ignorant or somehow beneath her. Ohhhhhooo.....that does not go over well with me. I dont deal well with snobby/snotty people. I find they are usually disguising some really significant defects in their person. The more rudely I am treated, the more expansive my vocabulary becomes until it reaches the point that they most likely need to break out the dictionary to understand me. I start to let my education show and it just spirals out of control. I've lost jobs over it before. I had a boss who thought I was a dumb blonde until he pissed me off. People don't like to be made to feel stupid. I made him feel extremely stupid on a daily basis for about a week until I was let go.
I knew a guy with 2 Phds who worked changing tires in Fort Worth in the 90's because the Defense industry was struggling. Mahmoud was a great guy who was super smart, but he had kids to support and when it came to them, he didnt care how much education he had or how many letters he had behind his name, he went to work and earned the money.He did well until he was disrespected.He got another job that paid better and he ended up buying the tire company he had worked at and he fired the manager who had disrespected him.
Im not that invested in this job. I wont quit. Ill still go to work every day, follow the job description to the letter and get it done and limit my conversations with my boss to what is required, but I may start to let things show after all, if get fired, I was looking for job when I got this one and maybe it would be just the nudge I needed to get into the field I want to be in.
Im arrogant. Always have been. I am a true and loyal friend of those who treat me with respect, but the minute I am condescended to or treated with disrespect? Pfft! All bets are off. Im not a ,"Kid" anymore. Im 42 freaking years old. I have delivered babies and held the hands of people as they died. Ive seen murder and mayhem and fought people for my life and the lives of others. I fought fires, lost friends and most of my loved ones. I choose to try and maintain a young at heart attitude, but my heart is not young. It battered and bruised and dark and cold and its deserves to be treated with a little God damned respect, even if it is working a menial job beneath its abilities.