By: Jim's Wife
A typical Monday morning. I got to work early and was enjoying, as best as possible being a Monday, my quiet time before whatever fresh crisis hits when the phone rang. My sweet angel tried to protect me by whispering in my ear to let it go, too early to answer the phone. But I did it. I answered, and I’m pretty sure I sounded calm and professional. The gentlemen on the other end, however let loose a tirade. He called me a lot of colorful names that most people have to meet me and know me awhile before I fall into any of those classifications. I like to think my first impression is usually pretty good, but this guy liked nothing about me. My manner, my voice. He kept telling me things I could do with parts of his own body.
I know, you are thinking that I should have just hung up. But I was really waiting to see how many suggestions he had for me to torture him and how many he was going to repeat over and over, or if he would take a breath, calm down and tell me what he was really angry about. He did not calm down. His suggestions of things I should do to him were shocking and hurt my feelings, but what was really out there was that we have caller ID. When I asked him by name if he was aware of that, we got disconnected. Huh.
That call got me thinking about how more and more people are saying whatever pops into their head. In the old days, I was taught to think before I spoke, to never say something that cannot be taken back, and for the love of all that is holy, never, ever on purpose hurt someone’s feelings. It will not make you feel better.
The old saying of kicking the dog, who bites the cat ... which is just poor anger management.
This was rolling around in my thoughts when that evening I heard that Nancy Pelosi called President Trump “morbidly obese”. Well, that was mean. For those of us who own more pounds that we want, that was really mean and not something you are supposed to say to people. I know, he gets his jabs back too, and this is not about the person it is about the cruel intentions.
The point is, when did Miss Manners die? Can we get her back? Life is hard, life is unfair, anger happens. The only thing we can control is how we react to situations.
I’m the last person to judge. I do not usually handle my anger the best either. But I do have a personal code: never hurt someone on purpose, never say something about someone with cruel intent, never yell at someone in the service department who is trying to just do their job, and never, ever put something in writing that will embarrass you years down the road.
What else would have Miss Manners rolling over?
Wearing white before Memorial Day and after Labor Day died its own death, right? Or did I personally kill that one?
Eating with your mouth closed. That would make a nice comeback.
What else?
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE May 22 ISSUE OF FOCUS SB - THE INQUISITOR.