Well, sorry. I wish I had something funny or inspirational to say, but I have to write about the muddy shoes. The other day I was hungry for a healthy nutritional meal, so I stopped in at the McDonald's on 40 highway for a #1. #1 = Big Mac, fries, and a diet coke. Nectar of the Gods. This is so good, it is worth getting fat over.
As I walked in the door, I noticed that there was mud on the floor. Not tracks of mud, but tracks of mud and chunks of mud. I stepped over it and around it. It led from the door to the register, then to the drink station. Back to the counter and back around to the seating area. I got my food and followed the trail. In a booth are two construction guys, about age 35. Their boots are covered with mud. I am thinking, "they are lucky that my mother is not here right now."
Well. At least we know the source of the mud. Now I am trying to figure this out. Were they born in a barn? Surely my momma did not raise them. What are they thinking, to just walk into a place of business and make this kind of mess. What were their other options?
The first thing that comes to my mind is to have another pair of shoes in the car if you intend to get this muddy. The second thing that comes to mind is this, take off your shoes. Leave them outside the door. I promise you, no one will want to steal your mud infested boots. My wife, who is much smarter than I am, had a better solution- go to the drive up.
The word respect comes to mind. Sure it is McDonald's, but come on, you just made a huge mess and a ton of work for someone. When I was a kid, occasionally my Dad would see someone misbehaving and he would say, "I wish that was my kid for 20 minutes." I asked him why one time. He said, "well, I would teach them a lesson." I never asked again. Anytime Dad said, "I wish that was my kid for 20 minutes" I knew that those guys were very close to a good paddling.
The world would be a better place if more people were raised by good old fashioned parents. At least there would be less mud on the floor.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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3 comments:
Amen! What happened to that kind of parenting? I see so little of it now days.
Our shoes came off before going inside our house or anyone else's house. Still do actually.
I catch myself saying something very similar about kids of all ages, including some of my daughter's friends. The steady regular friends know the house rules by now.
Tonia
Man, I have "been there and seen that" before. It blows my mind every time though. I've witnessed "muddy boot guys" before and some of them look back at their tracks and look a little concerned, but others walk in like they just don't care. "I work outside in the cold and the mud and I'm hungry." No respect for others...just entitlement.
I am always so tempted to say something, but thank God I have developed some self control (and fear of "muddy boot guys") over the years. ; )
I think you are right - these people should have known better than to bring half their work site into this restaurant. It was rude, disrespectful and uncalled for. . .and I think most construction folks at least try to get most of the mud off their feet before entering a restaurant.
But I think these guys deserve a moment of understanding and compassion - perhaps even a prayer. Most white collar workers (which is what I am) have never labored in their "shoes". But I have learned (by marrying one of them)that they often work in hazzardous conditions, freezing cold, searing heat, and everything in between (including mud) and they have to wear those boots - OSHA says so.
Their jobs are usually "no work, no pay" - meaning they don't accrue vacation days, and when they are sick...they don't get paid. These jobs are also often physically demanding and take their toll on aging bodies. And so many times, these men in muddy boots are just the fellows we need when our power is out or our cars are in a ditch.
I guess that I'm hoping that this was just an isolated incident and that not everyone who wears muddy boots would have done that. But I have also witnessed dress shoe wearing restaurant patrons who brought their own version of "mud" into places, it just wasn't as obvious. By being demanding, rude, demeaning, or disrespectful of others as they screamed into their I-phones, they just brought in a different kind of "mud" in my opinion, it just didn't leave a trail behind them.
Your blog made me think about the "mud" in my life, and how to make sure it doesn't spill over to others. I'm afraid that even though I don't usually wear muddy boots, that I've left a trail or two of my own. You really made me think. . .
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