My wife and I
had dinner with another couple on Friday night. They’re really close friends of ours that
we haven’t seen for a while, so it was nice to spend time with them in person.
And of course the first thing Steve asked me was, “How’s life been treating you?”
I thought about that question for just a moment and then answered him honestly. “My life is really good. I feel blessed in so many ways I can’t even count them all. So yeah, life is great!”
But as I said that I thought about something that had happened earlier that day. I lost my temper, really lost it, and yelled at someone. I haven’t done that in years, and it was a complete stranger, a young person who worked at a store. I use the term “worked” loosely because although she saw me standing at the cash register, she ignored me despite glancing over at me multiple times. After 10 minutes I started to get upset and after 15 minutes I was really frustrated, and after 20 minutes, I totally lost it and yelled at her to get her attention.
I left that store really angry. My wife had been waiting in the car for what should have been a quick five minute stop, so when I got back to the car she immediately asked me, “What happened?” I was so mad I could hardly get the words out. I apologized for keeping her waiting and then told her about the really bad experience I just had with some “stupid, %&*#@, idiot”.
When I got home, and had time to think about it, I felt like a real jerk. Which is exactly what I am, “a stupid, %&*#@, jerk” for getting so angry at a young person who probably hasn’t been trained properly. For a moment in time, I forgot to count my blessings. To be thankful for my family, my home, my job, my health, and the hundreds of other good things going on in my life. I forgot to be thankful and chose to be angry.
The next time I feel myself getting angry, I’m going to remember that incident. My importantly, I am going to remember to have more patience, because people are not perfect… especially me!