More Crap

Wow, I even just created a new label for the category CRAP.

So the woman who swam into my skull on Monday sent me $150 cash. Why do I feel bad about using it? I guess I am almost in shock that she owned up and was kind enough to compensate for my loss of contact lens, although really it's not so much the money but the thought that counts.

The kid who's dog bit me lied about his phone number--but I will find that dog and its adult owner.

I don't have La Gazza Ladra--that happens on Friday. I had made an appointment for yesterday, but I called on Monday to check whether this was going to happen or not, and they weren't sure. So I call again Tuesday morning, and the bike was ready, but they don't have my shoes, cages or skewers. So I ask when they will be in, and they say Thursday. Great! Only Thursday I can't come in (massage day plus 2 hours of workout--sorry, no more time in the day for me!), so I'm going on Friday.

This morning I was awakened again by the same car/truck that has been waking me up at least once a week for the last 4 weeks or so. I really wanted to go back to sleep, but it was 4:15, and today that was not happening. So I put on my coat and go outside and guess what? There is my newspaper! So it's the newspaper delivery person's vehicle. Now it makes perfect sense, that that vehicle slows down in front of my house (the neighbor across the street gets the same newspaper) and then goes up the street slowly, makes a left, throws some more papers and then does a reverse back onto my street. I called the newspaper company today and had a nice chat with Customer Service. It was entertaining when the woman began saying, "Yes, ma'am, I will make sure that..." and then she sort of stuttered, and I knew she didn't know exactly what she was going to be able to guarantee me. I could tell (since I'm in Customer Service myself) that she was following some sort of script/process, and I wasn't going to be satisfied with some pat answer. So I chimed in and told her that I wanted to be sure she understood the issue, which is that this vehicle sounds as if it has no muffler (which is illegal, as far as I know), and that it is waking up myself and others on my street, and that the company will lose a number of subscribers if this persists. I also told her I don't want the driver fired--I am just requesting that he/she get the vehicle repaired so that it makes less noise and doesn't wake us up! She assured me she'd speak with the person's Supervisor. She had better!

It seems to me that the more crowded this world becomes the less many people consider the impact of their behavior on others. Couple that with a deep fear many people have of saying anything to these offenders out of concern for one's own safety, and one can infer that there's a lot of unnecessary stress going on. I'm sure not suggesting that if you are cut off while driving that you attempt to catch up with said driver to let them know or even flip them off (responding to poor drivers like that just compounds road rage incidents); but when an opportunity presents to have a rational discussion with another person about their behavior, do it!

Under duress, I can become quite vocal. When I was bit by the dog, it hurt like a sonofabitch, and it induced a screaming response from me. I know that must have frightened the young boy, but once he regained control of the dog, I calmed down, which is when I asked for a phone number (he gave me one but he lied). When I was slammed in the face on Monday and my goggles broke and flew off my face, my first response was to ask what the other person was doing. I always figure if there's some sort of rational explanation, I'd like to hear it, because sometimes there can be extenuating circumstances. Like let's say the dog's leash broke--OK, it wasn't the kid's fault entirely. Or I suddenly decided to swim in the middle or on the other side of the lane, even though I had been swimming on the one side for 2,000 yards. Hey, if it's my fault I owe an apology. If something truly couldn't be helped, then, well, that's life.

But nowadays people run into parked cars and don't leave notes, they clip their freaking toenails in public view in a locker room and think nothing of it even while being told it's disgusting, they get stoned and drunk and blare their stereo at 2:00AM, they blare their stereo while washing their car, they drop cigarette butts in your yard, they piss their dog in your flower bed, they walk their child in a stroller on an indoor running track, they let their young kids run around like wild monkeys in a gym, they believe turn signals are optional, they fail to look both ways when making turns and nearly run you down on your bike, they don't vote and then complain about elected officials.

Life is about 4 small words: DO THE RIGHT THING

To which I would add: AND WHEN YOU FUCK UP, BUCK UP.

Because we all fuck up every now and then. Lord knows I'm not perfect! And let's hope I never forget an "I'm sorry" or "Thank you." Because it's just as important to reinforce GOOD behavior as it is to own up to our own bad behavior.