I stopped in at Walgreens in Donelson this morning to pick up supplies for our new office. The cosmetics register was opened and I struck up a conversation with Sandy, a former guidance counselor from Chicago. Sandy worked in the Chicago school system in the same high school for 47 years, retiring recently after the pace got a little too crazy, not to mention the students. We chatted for 15 minutes about kids in school and how so much has changed since she first began working with kids. The conversation turned to parents and how much of an impact they have during the formative years of child’s life. She remembered times when she would have to call home and tell a mom that she wasn’t supposed to smoke pot with her high schooler before school.

Then Sandy mentioned the antics of some children who visited the store this past weekend during the tax holiday. On Sunday she said these children were very rude, some asking that she leave the register (whose line was long) to find an item. Others got irate at the length of the lines. One child actually spit at a cashier when he didn’t get his way. Sadly, these weren’t children, but adults acting like children. Boy, some role models we are for kids. It reminded me of a visit to Kmart recently (it also was this past Sunday). Same situation. One lady got so angry that the line was long that she stormed out, dropping her items on the ground and stepping over them on the way out.

Where does this anger come from? This particular Kmart lady was in her 50’s from what I could tell. If she’d waited about two more minutes she would have been out the door with her stuff. When we as humans brush up against things or people we can’t control, especially when we are used to controlling everything else we can get our hands on (kids, husbands, wives, employees, cars, cable tv, etc.), something snaps. Coincidentally, this “control freakism” usually comes when you’ve intentionally decided to throw out the notion that someone greater controls things anyway, including your own perfect self. It sure is humbling (and frustrating) when you realize you can’t control everything. A data stream of garbage directed at a unsuspecting cashier usually makes it all better, just like a drink to help make the pain go away. You feel in control again for a time. It won’t last long, but there are always more cashiers, more drivers on the interstate, more spouses to get your fix.

Well, once again I’m sure glad I get to be a part of Watercooler Wednesday over at Ethos. People there will treat you nice.