During the past few months I’ve been watching adults behave in ways that would put toddlers to shame.
When his order was wrong at a drive-thru window, the person ahead of me simply opened the bag and dumped the order on the ground while I watched in disbelief.
Classy way to deal with the problem.
I’ve seen grown men scuffle in congested traffic and throw punches over parking spaces.
I have watched women talk to store clerks and servers like dirt and threaten to gouge each other’s eyes out.
More times than not, while we grown-ups are so busy showing a total lack of civilized behavior, our offspring watch as we act like idiots.
We might as well buy bumper stickers that say, “I’m trying my best to raise another psycho just like me.”
We might all be considered grown-ups. But actually, we are not interested in appropriately handling stress, are we?
If we can get away with acting like we need a nap, many of us like to have obnoxious brat attacks.
Instead of exercising some patience to better deal with an issue like a drive-thru window employee who just can’t seem to remember that you said Sprite instead of fries, a lot of us prefer to yell and kick and dump the incorrect order on the ground like a moron.
We often use irritating life moments as an excuse to blow off some steam … at the expense of other people.
To remedy this behavior I wish that we had to wear signs.
That’s right.
Announce your intention.
And if you have enough gall to actually own up to it, then maybe you really do deserve the opportunity to hurt other people with your rage.
Make yourself a sign, such as, “Last night, I drank too much. I’m mad at myself. But I’m looking to take it out on anything with a pulse.” Or “I will be circulating rumors about you and hurting you as much as possible so I can avoid looking at how much I hate myself.”
Before you start to spew your anger at the innocent person in your path, let’s give them a sign too. Shall we?
“I’m trying to feed my children on two full-time minimum wage jobs. Yesterday my car blew up and I walked more than a mile to get here. You and I both know I can do nothing but stand here at the drive-thru window while you humiliate me. But go right ahead. I have no choice but to take it.”
Let’s give your children some signs too.
“I’m a little girl, watching my daddy rage when he doesn’t get his way. I am growing up with the misinformation that a man who scares me also loves me.”
“I am a little boy, watching my dad be a bully. But in a few years he will actually have the gall to ground me when I am in trouble at school for fighting.”
“I’m a teenage female, listening to my mom talk about how she plans to attack one of her former friends. She is showing me exactly how to conduct myself as a young woman.”
Like it or not, this is a what-comes-around-goes-around existence … what you give, you will absolutely get back … we must carefully decide what we want back.
Be a brat and hopefully you will get that back twofold.