If You Know Better, You do Better

Recently I went to a small store to purchase a few things for myself. This store is a large chain store but the store its self is small. I went into the store hoping to find what I needed and not spend a fortune. I roamed around picked out what I wanted and then saw some items that had old sale tags on them. I am the person that loves a sale, so I asked the clerk if I could get the sale price. This clerk did not respond in a nice way at all. The clerk was downright rude and if I had not wanted my items so badly, I would have dropped everything I had in my arms and walked out.

This one person set the tone for my entire day. Now I know I should not let this one person take charge of my day like that, but she was a formidable angry lady and she dented my personal armor enough that I was emotionally wounded. After I left the store, I sat in my car for a few minutes trying to regroup and reminded myself she was the one with the problem. Even so, I carried that wound the entire day.

It is sometimes those moments that we learn how we can affect other people. Those moments when a single person can take your day and twist it into a knot merely by barking at you about something that means nothing in the grand scheme of things. That lesson about how we affect others is loud and clear when we are hit head on by it.

Although I saw the lesson and was hit hard by the event, there are times when I know I do the same to others. I want to stop myself, but the words tumble out before I can snatch them back or my attitude is already turned up to crabby and one little thing sets me off. I strike out and like a line of dominoes my strike spreads from my day to others days, some of whom I probably do not even know.

I would like to tell you that I will never spread frustration or anger again, but odds are good I will. I can tell you that if you know better, you do better, so I will work hard not to be the angry person that sends others days spiraling. I will also try not to let bullies take charge of my well being and ruin an entire day. Today would be a good day to spread some kind words and perhaps smile as I go about running errands. Who knows, maybe my smile could turn someone else’s day around. One day soon though I am going back to that store and smiling at the clerk that ruined my day…just because it will help me feel vindicated. “There, take that you crabby lady you!”