Choices In Response

A full morning of shopping during this holiday season can be enough to test anyone's attitude. The 'sunshine' factor can certainly turn from bright and warm into dark and gloomy. With all of the shoppers and cars on the road, it is a test of will.

I found myself beginning to feel the crush of the holiday rush. Even as I was nearly tripped by a remote control car at the Discovery Store. As I walked on, I actually heard the store clerk start to chuckle. No words of apology and concern to see if I was okay. It was a pure and simple chuckle, a chortle, a snickering of what I thought was the worst kind.

In an instant I was faced with three choices;

1. Continue walking and say nothing.
2. Turn and berate the kid for his insensitivity.
3. Turn and offer my own apology for nearly breaking his merchandise.

Well, I would have continued on without saying anything, sulking in being a klutz and nearly falling. But that giggle just didn't sit well. So already being in a state of edginess from the shopping and I'm certainly not known for any love of shopping, option two was the first one to cross my mind.

As I stopped and spun around...you are free to have slow motion visions from one of your favorite movies if it will help...with a basket of words to say to this person. But as I did it occurred to me that it would not have accomplished anything. I would have been simply frustrated, the kid would have not given it a thought of some older guy berating him.

So I walked back and simply asked if the remote control car was okay. That I wanted to ensure that I had not damaged it. With a smile, it was a way of confronting the situation which did throw the kid a curve. He stuttered a bit trying to come up with words. He said all was okay and then apologized for nearly tripping me.

What effect did this have beyond my little encounter. I'd like to think that the store clerk will think differently and turn my kindness into a lesson for him. It could translate into him being a better person and possibly a better employee at his store. You can do the math for what that could mean for the store. Yet in our bigger world it just makes it better place.

Insignificant some might say, only think it insignificant the next time someone smiles your way and think maybe, just maybe someone else helped put that smile on their face.