Seems many were in somewhat dark spirits today due to the heavily overcast skies along with a strange sort of intermittent mist. I was surprised to find more visitors at my public open house considering how attitudes were today. I stopped at a take-away to grab something small and quick beforehand as I often do on Saturdays. There was an older couple there that arrived just ahead of me who were studying the menu before they stepped up to the counter so I went ahead of them and ordered. Since I wasn’t eating in, I just waited there for them to hand me the take-out. The older couple finally stepped closer to the cashier and the cashier in a most kind way said, “Will this be for here or to go?” The female of the two snapped at him and said, “I’m not ready to order yet and we’re eating here.” Oh mercy. That poor young man wasn’t prepared for that as he was left a bit speechless. The next thing she said was, “You must have changed your menu around because I can’t find anything.” The assistant manager kindly said, “You’re looking at the breakfast menu.” The lady then said, “I know I am; so what of it?” That’s all the assistant manager did was quietly walk away. As she handed me my food I winked at her and smiled. I really can’t understand why people have to so mean spirited toward wait staff. I do everything I can to be kind to them knowing full well there are other customers that can be on the nasty side.
I had a small errand to run for a client today and when I stopped back, we found ourselves talking about of the events of this past year and how some were memorable in a good way, and others worth sending down and forgetting they ever happened. Once in a great while people will ask me why I’m still here in Mason City due to their belief that I have the ability to live anywhere I choose. My normal response usually goes something like this: “I chose to remain because I believe there is a great reason for me to be here. In spite of a few bumps in the road, Mason City has been very good to me and I am ever thankful for it.”
So often I hear people say how if they’d known what was going to happen to them and their station in life, they would have done things so much differently. Outside of terminal illness or sudden death in the family, I believe we all have a bit of a clue what direction we are moving in our lives. A person just yesterday said how the terrible but short marriage she was in affected her so deeply that she still has nightmares about him as well as moments of flash-backs. Mental scaring like that had to have come from extreme external forces. She’s lucky she recognized the path she was on before she lost complete sense of direction. I did mention to her that too many women today allow men to use such vulgar and degrading language on them by either their boyfriends or their husbands. I think allowing such demeaning language sets the stage for even greater abuse.
My memory serves me well enough to remember many people who thought they had the world by the tail and considered themselves beyond reproach, but in time, all their mighty castles of success disintegrated before their eyes and like feathers in the wind they disappeared.
