“I’m running late!” No… she wouldn’t yell that.

 

“Excuse me… Miss…” So I say that, but she ignores me. About now, I’m inwardly seething. What would someone I admire do?

 

Why do I have to be extra calm because someone else is being extra rude?

“Ma’am,” I say to the woman asking for directions. “If you would just allow me to borrow the cashier for a moment, I’ll be on my way and you can have her back again,” I smile sweetly… even sincerely.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she responds, immediately stepping away from the counter, while smiling back.

 

Within less than three minutes, we were out the door heading towards the car, and noticing all the happy little girls, in the SUV , that the female driver was chaperoning. Suddenly I begin to realize I’m not so upset, and that they look like mini baton twirlers… cute, with pink makeup on their cheeks… really cute.

 

And as I pull out of my space, with a full tank of gas, and a gallon of milk, it occurs to me that drawing on someone I admire, and considering what that person would do, doesn’t diminish me. It doesn’t diminish me to become extra calm when someone else is being extra rude.

 

In fact, “what it did,” I thought, driving away, “was force me to become someone I admire.”