So this happened…I’m driving down a two way street and I notice in my rear view a car LITERALLY on my bumper! I give the car a little gas, thinking I’m going too slow and they speed up as well.
Immediately, I began to get upset. In my mind, well, it actually came out my mouth as well… I’m thinking, “What the Heck, get off my BUTT!!” Obviously, this person has somewhere to be. So I politely pull over to the side and let them pass, only to see them speed up, just to stop at the same red light I’m going to.
I pull up beside the car, only to notice the driver is in tears. My first thought is, OMG is she alright? Light turns green, she’s off again.
I never got a chance to find out what the issue was and really, how could I, I didn’t know her. We were just two cars on the same street.
However, my mind began to wonder as to what could have possibly been the problem.
I automatically started to feel like crap with all of the things I said in my mind and out loud…but, honestly, she could have really been having a terrible day.
I know this has happened to many of us. If not, it will or something close to it. We’ve all had terrible days.
Terrible Days:
- You’re late to work and this is the last chance you have, but EVERYTHING went wrong and honestly prevented you from getting there on time.
- The dog decides to destroy a project you’ve been working on for months.
- Death in the family
- Car troubles
- A customer goes off on you for something you didn’t do, but you can’t say or do anything because your boss is on your butt about “customer is always right.”
- Arguments with your spouse before work
- Found out the love of your life has been lying or cheating
- You get blamed for something you clearly didn’t do
- Pulled over by the wrong cop
The list can go on… my point is, We don’t know what the other person has going on in their lives at that moment. Many times, people snap/flip out/become extremely upset with you for something simple because there is an underlying issue they are dealing with.
We are all human, we’ve all done it. Unfortunately, we are like dump trucks. We start the day fresh and ready to conquer the world. We run into one, maybe two people who aren’t doing so well today and they dump their problems, issues, and anger on us. We sit and most of the time take it.
Then, as the day goes on, more problems come about…adding to the truck. By the time we think we can get a break and let off some steam, someone comes and puts the icing on the cake…your truck is full and you start dumping everything out on them… on the outside, you just look and sound like a complete jerk. However, on the inside, you’re tired, hurt, and half the time you just need a hug.
Let’s try using a little empathy when encountering someone who gets ticked off easy or seems to be super agitated and you know you did nothing wrong.
Half the time, we just gotta let it out. Give off some steam. Dump-Your-Truck…
When encountering this type of situation, breathe and just let them say what’s needed. If it’s a friend, let them vent then say, you ok? Stranger, just say have a blessed day and don’t take it personally.
Remember, we’ve all been there and don’t know what the other is going through. We’re all human…
Share a little empathy…
– J. Robinson, Dope Chic
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