I was having a discussion in the car yesterday with my dear husband, Ryan, about a terribly cranky lady that works at the post office. (I think there is at least one of them who works in every post office.) I was telling him how every time I end up in her line, I have the hardest time not being snippy right back to her, because she's just so rude and nasty that I don't want her to think she can just treat me that way!
But then I realized, just because she treats me that way does not give me the right to treat her that way. Is that what I want to put out into the world? No, it is most certainly not. I want to be kind and loving, especially to people who aren't friendly, because they need love more than most of us. Right? Right.
So, I'm challenging myself to exactly what Sarah Gardner here is challenging us to: to take courage and be kind.
Who wants to join me?
{for more from Sarah, you can browse her lovely flickr stream.}
Posts
Lesson learned from my time as a Barnes & Noble cashier: Nothing pisses off a rude, cranky person that someone being blatantly nice & kind. I'm telling you - it's more satisfying than giving the rudeness back!
ReplyDeleteThere's definitely one in every post office... ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd Michelle is right, killing them with extreme syruppy kindness always worked. I was in grocery management for years and that was the only thing that helped. Except this one cranky dirty old man that always used to yell rude things from the back of the lottery line, until one day I finally just yelled back and told him to "KEEP IT DOWN, BACK THERE! I'LL GET TO YOU SOON ENOUGH!" and everyday after that he never complained again and called me "sweety" from that day on.... :)
oh if i had only had this poster when i lived in a Certain Metropolitan Area in which nearly every postal clerk drove me to tears. going to the post office was a terrifying experience and this was in the days before they had automated postal machines in the lobby so i had to face them every time i went, waiting in line for 30 minutes every time with a toddler who wouldn't stay still. they went out of their way to be mean. in my tiny little town the post office staff is wonderful and i tell them EVERY time i visit how appreciative i am. one lady responded, "i've worked here for 32 years and there's no point in coming if i don't like what i do. and i can make a person's day better or worse when they come to see me at the counter, and i like to make it better."
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