Saturday, March 14, 2009

Super Glue

I took Noah to Target with me this morning. Tim wanted to vacuum the floors in the house and I had some errands to run so I figured it would be easier to get him out of the house and Tim's way.
First of all, I am blessed in that 95% of the time, my kids do great at the grocery store (and Target.) There is the 5% in which Noah runs away from me or Ellie is having a breakdown or whatever other random things may happen. But I can count on one hand the amount of times that has happened.
Today is beautiful outside. The sun is shining bright and the weather is mild. I still wouldn't quite call it "warm" but it's not freezing, so I'll take it. We have family coming tonight, friends coming tomorrow and good times ahead. My husband is cleaning the floors and my kids are in a good mood for getting not as much sleep as usual the night before. My attitude today is laid back, relax and content.
Noah and I made it through Target getting the few items we needed. We picked a lane to check-out in and waited behind a woman whose items were being scanned still. A moment later another woman got in line behind us. I was surprised to begin with because there were about 4 or 5 lanes open with one, maybe two, customers in each line. This is unsual because usually they have few lanes and lots o' customers waiting.
Anyways, the lady ahead of me noticed a bottle of soap she was buying had a leak so the cashier had to call a worker to come get another one. Then the woman handed her coupons over, but had forgotten to cut out the ones she had printed off her internet. There were only two. I am still patiently waiting, watching Noah as he looked through the impulse buy items (thankfully, he also knows not to ask for any.) The woman behind me leans in closer to me makes a snide comment about the woman not clipping out her coupons. A bit thrown off, I pretend I didn't hear her because I can't think of how to respond.
A lane opens up and the cashier yells that she can take whoever is waiting next. My items are already on the belt and I'm not in a hurry so I stay where I am. The woman behind me tells me to get in the open line. I look at her and tell her I'm fine. She gives me a dirty look and says, "Well, I'm going to take it then because I don't have all day to wait around." I watch as she huffs and puffs over to the other line. A moment later I hear her start to attack the cashier for not doing something right.
She was through the line and out the doors before Noah and me. In the car I started thinking about her. Do you ever have times where you think about the things you would have said if your mind had been working? It happens to me all the time. I think God turns off my brain and super glues my mouth shut sometimes to keep me from saying hurtful things. Don't get me wrong, I've said my share in my years, but lately it's been fewer, thank the Lord.
I would have told the woman to chill out. I would have told her to slow down a little and enjoy the nice day. I would have said that getting out of the store two minutes faster isn't going to make a difference in the whole of her day. I would have told her that I used to be a hurried, stressed out, complaining, witchy customer waiting in lines ready to jump in the next shortest one, too. I would have then explained how that negative attitude impacts how I'm feeling, my outlook on the day, how my husband and kids respond to me and what others first impressions of me were. I would have then told her how much better everything seems when you just relax and give up the control.
Then I would have danced out of Target while singing Fee's lyrics (or maybe they're Tim Hughes'): "Oh, happy day! Happy day! He washed my sins away. Oh! Happy day! Happy day! I'll never be the same. Forever I am changed!"
Good thing I was super glued or else I would have shattered everyone's ear drums...

12 comments:

daniella said...

That's Tim Hughes.

How I wish I was more chill like you. I've come a long way since marrying Josh because he's the complete opposite of me (which sometimes could be just as annoying) and really mellows/balances me out. But there are days when I'm the catty impatient customer. And you're right - it really ruins your whole day and puts you in a irritable funk. In fact, I've stopped reading blogs that have a nagging, negative, sassy tone to them.

Kathy B! said...

So true! If you take the positive view of life and don't agonize over the things over which you have no control, life is soooo much easier/sweeter. It's a stretch, though, to find the happy place sometimes : )

Lacey Rumley said...

I'm still marveling over the phrase, "Tim wanted to vacuum the floors in the house." Tell him I'll gladly remove my children from our house for a while if wants to come do our floors, too! :-)

Thanks for reminding me that a bad attitude is never worth it! There are many things to be thankful for!

Monica said...

I came over from SITS. Congrats on being saucy!! I love this post. I have days where I can relate to you most of the time and then there are still a few days where I feel like that woman anxious to get out of the store. Then I just take a deep breath calm down and then I am fine!! Great story.

Debbie Y. said...

I have had lengthy convo's with the checkers at Wal-Mart where they say if they seem to be catty, mean, or irritated, they don't mean to be so, but it might be because they have had a run of women like the one behind you in line. If I come through their line and am happy and pleasant and act like they are people just like me, which they are, then I will possibly have made them nicer in line to the next customer. I like to feel that I have a positive impact on others.

Lauren said...

Love this post! People drive me absolutely bonkers with their lack of patience these days. I enjoy rolling my eyes at them or giving them a look of disgust, makes me feel like I'm making some effort. But yes, isn't life wonderful when you're not like that?

christina said...

Good for you, my fellow {former} impatient friend! I am working on this too, so, I totally related to what you experienced! I've seen the same scenario, and people like that really don't realize what idiots they look like! (myself included, sometimes.) Good for Tim for doing the floors! :)

Leah said...

Stopping by from the Blog Guild. Congrats on being the featured blogger this week.

I LOVE this post! :)

momma said...

great post! we all need a reminder to keep our mouths shut sometimes.

(stopping by from the blog guild)

Anonymous said...

I too have and still (sometimes) struggle with this!! through the years and as I REALLY realized the influence my attitude made on my children, my day and so much more! I try hard everyday to react the way God would want me too...

Thanks so much for sharing!!!!

cat said...

Oh wow, you have will power girl! Great post and yes, think positive! God's superglue - I will never forget that phrase.

Phillips said...

Stopping in from the blog guild. I like how your blogs are about normal stuff. We can definitely relate.

Yep, that is so me, but I think God forgot to super glue my mouth shut because half the time the words fly out! :) It's a good thing that God is teaching me too, how to slow down and hopefully not be such a control freak anymore.

Thanks and good job!