Sept. 10th, Seeing red.......

            Today, like every other day, I drove to the gym and swam laps back and forth in a highly chlorinated cesspool, hoping to find enlightenment.

            Today, like every other day, I found none. What I did find, much like every other day at the local pool, was a grumpy, mean old-man, not nice enough to share a lane with anyone (even though each lane is built for two). The scene goes as follows……….

            A nice, soft spoken woman, asked a man who was swimming alone in a lane, as polite as could be” May we share?” The mean old-man exclaimed, in a gruff and animated tone, “I would prefer you go elsewhere!” The woman then replied “Oh, sorry to bother you, maybe someone else will be kind enough to share.” In that moment I felt the heat begin to rise in my face and my blood began to boil…. Why on earth did she not just yell and tell him how rude he was or say “Too bad, I am gonna swim here anyways!?” Why not stand up and tell him that he is a jerk or even ask him “Who the hell do you think you are?” I was about to become enraged… I knew it… no one can be “unjust” around me and not get the run of the mill ass-reaming, especially to a person who was so kind! In those few moments I thought to myself “huh, no one is ever that kind!”
             Seconds before I opened my mouth, I glanced over at her standing in next lane. She was asking a young woman if she would kindly share her lane and realized something! She was a local anchor woman from the news channel I watch! She was on T.V. everyday reporting the important (and not so important) local news that Tucsonans watch, or like me, fall asleep to every night. She couldn’t say what she wanted to. She couldn’t just tell him to “kiss her ass!” She had to maintain some kind or respect and dignity. She is a public figure. After stewing in my anger for a couple of minutes, I began to feel OK with her choice of letting this mean old- man get away with not sharing the social pleasantries we expect from society (although we never receive)!
             I learned something from her today. I observed her graceful and understanding means of dealing with the selfish and rude population. What I learned today I will remember forever… Today I learned that could never be a public figure! Public figures require two things I could never maintain, votes or ratings! I don’t have the capability to filter the words of wisdom that I bestow upon everyone I meet.  What I possess is a gift, the gift of understanding how not to be rude or blatantly ass-y! I will continue to maintain this personal "jem" a gift because so few people I encounter have this quality!  After thinking about the encounter with the mean old-man for a bit, I came to one big conclusion...... Lucky me, I can tell old guys to "shove it!"