I don’t know if I have that quote right, but that’s how I remember it. That’s how I say to myself almost daily.
Yesterday I went to the grocery store and watched a woman leave her cart right in front of another car and drive away. Our store isn’t that big. And the parking lot is littered with those little cart huts (ports). But she dumped it in front of a car that was closest to her and drove away.
Here’s what immediately went through my head. Oh, you’re a cheater. Not like a big-time-bad-check-writing-identity thief… but you’re a I’ll get away with it gal.
I guarantee you that she doesn’t stop fully at stop signs. I’ll put money down that when she sees a pedestrian at a cross-walk – she keeps driving. I bet you she hovers over the toilet in public bathrooms and ruins it for the rest of us. Is she a bad person? Who knows. Is she a mini-cheater? Absolutely.
That may be too harsh. Too judgmental. I think if I was really to dive in I’d use words like entitled, selfish, or rude. Like the world owes her something. But that could be over the top. Who knows, maybe she was in a hurry. Maybe she volunteers with sick children or puppies and she was rushing to an emergency.
But I know people that volunteer with sick children and puppies. They live the value of “exist for others”. They worry about the other person. The person that comes after them. They would put the cart back where it belonged. They stop for pedestrians. They wipe the seat off. You get it. How they do anything is how they do everything.
That other lady is short-cut city.
Short-cuts are not all bad. I like short-cuts. I’m not saying I’m a saint. I am fully human. Failing daily as proof. But I keep that phrase in mind as I go about my day. No task is too small to not do right. No action is too small to not do right. Specifically when it impacts someone else.
Could she be a swell gal and just have had a sloppy moment? Sure. Could she also be the gal ok with throwing gum wrappers out her window? Probably.
It’s hard not to start painting a complete picture of her based on that action. Which is not good. I fully acknowledge that this is not the trait that I’m the most proud of. I’m working on amending it. But it’s hard.
I’m assuming because this chick blatantly didn’t do the right thing in public, in private she’s probably worse!
I know this little diatribe says more about me then her. But I can’t help it. This is what’s in my brain. Rattling around fighting for space with Bravo shows.
Little actions matter. Take the cart back to where it belongs. Do the thing that’s a little harder. You are not alone in the world. In this town. In this parking lot. Every little action matters.
Do you agree? Am I nuts? What phrases and quotes rattle in your mind daily? I can’t be the only one.
wifemothereventplanner 