I started my day semi-grouchy, had technical difficulties using the interwebs (which sent me to full-blown grumpy frustration), and for some reason decided a quick trip for groceries (to a big box store no less), was a good idea.
I felt my frustration rising as I dealt with horrendous drivers and walked around the store in vain attempts to avoid the slow, confused, and just plain annoying patrons.
But as I was checking out and leaving the store, I realized something. Amidst this hustle and bustle of fellow shoppers, cashiers, and workers performing all variety of tasks, were fellow human beings. Were some annoyingly impeding my quick steps around the store? Yes. We’re some obnoxious as they stopped in the middle of an aisle with no regard for others? Absolutely. We’re some downright awful human beings who couldn’t give a rat’s ass about anyone else in the store? Almost certainly.
But they’re all just people. Each one has a unique story that makes them who they are. Even if that is the seemingly rude woman with her cart parked in the middle of the cereal aisle or the jerk going the wrong way down a one-way lane in the parking lot. We all have our story that makes us who we are.
Maybe the woman taking up more than her share of real estate in cereal has poor eyesight and she can’t tell how much closer she could have hugged her cart to the shelves of food. And maybe the guy who was going the wrong way up the one-way lane was distracted by some bad news he’d just received.
My point is, I don’t know why these others folks were acting how they were. More importantly, I don’t have to be one of those people. And fortunately, I choose to do no more than smile and say excuse me to the woman in the cereal aisle and merely muttered under my breath about the man going the wrong way. Despite my grouchy mood, I didn’t add to anyone else’s potentially rotten day by reacting negatively.
And the real moral of the story here is, our actions come back to us. I started writing this post while waiting for my mom at the front of the store. I saw the lesson of my attitude and knew I needed to share, and I arrived home after running my errands to a truly lovely and generous gift from someone I’ve never met outside the realms of internet chatting before. Now, by no means do I think not blowing up at random strangers deserves such a heartwarming gift as I’ve received, but I like to think it’s a small part of a bigger karmic force I’m building. It’s certainly must be that for the virtual friend who has done such kindness for me. We truly are all connected. We all have the ability to brighten someone’s day, or at least not make it any worse. So next time you you find yourself short-tempered, remember we all have our own story that makes us tick. And next time someone does you an act of kindness, whether large or small, deserved or not, pass it on. I certainly will be as soon as I’m able.
J. Hendrix Creative 