Sunday, September 30, 2018

I was here first

This is not one of my best stories....

So the buffet is packed. On a cruise I only eat in the buffet because I don’t like to get dressed up for dinner and I have no interest in meeting the Captain. Just keep the ship on course, OK?

So I have already had breakfast but now Dave is finally awake and he wants to go. So I go in with him to keep him company while he eats. He is shy and insecure and needs people to chaperone him.

Every table is full. I look around. I see one table that is being cleared by a young man from the Philippines. I head for it. I hope I get there first. I notice a young woman pushing around the back side a couple of tables over. She about knocks over an older woman [I am 61 so older to me is up there] she about knocks over the older woman trying to beat me to the table.

I win. I sit down.

Then to my astonishment, she sits down. She looks away like she does not see me and the turns towards me and acts surprised.

She-this is my table.
Me- it certainly is not, I was here first
She- this is my table, you have to move.
Me- I was here first and you know it.
She – this is my table, get going old man.
Me-[pausing for what to say…. Trying to gather the better part of myself]
        I finally got up to leave and said, I hope you enjoy yourself.

I was snippy. She was a b word. Besides that I was there first. If my children who are about the age of this woman ever treat an old person like that, I will personally find them and keel haul them.

Reflections on this story….
  • Dave should have rolled out of bed at 730 and there would have been plenty of tables.  [I keep throwing him under the bus...not fair, he is a good man]
  • There are some people that are just rude. They don’t care about anyone but themselves.
  • I should not have been snippy. But in my defense I was there first.  [Never mind Jeff there is no defense for your snippy attitude.]

This incident has hung with me, the sting of her words. I am processing it, trying to release it. There are 4,000 people on this ship. 500 of them look like her. I see her everywhere and I wonder if she is going to come up to me and insult me again. Oh, whew, that was not her, just a look alike.

Even small encounters with people can be either joyful or painful. Small pains can linger like a splinter in one's hand. May we deliver less pain to others and more joy.

And I am not old, and I was there first.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

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I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....

Holy Land Tour - includes my favorite spots
with optional Jerusalem extension
March 4-13, 2019




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