When Strangers Are Rude
What is your response?
I saw a Facebook post this morning.
This person asked everyone to boycott a local thrift shop because the volunteer there was rude to her. Many added fuel to her revelation and were incensed. That whole thread was smoking with anger!
Only one calmly suggested that her complaint would have more teeth if she spoke to the supervisor.
As I put down my phone, I felt a bit disturbed.
All the contributors in that thread were not young but older women (and a couple of men).
Nobody considered why the volunteer could have acted the way he did.
I’m sure they meant to support the poster, but they sounded virulent. I would hate to cross them!
Long ago, I had decided that I didn’t want to be that older woman who ranted, complained, and called out strangers who gave her lousy service, ignored her, or made ageist remarks at her.
Cos those “losers” might be suffering a loss, and you might seem like an easy target to dump their grief.
Let it go.
Strangers who are hateful to you at that moment are mostly unhappy or in pain from bad choices or sad circumstances.
Let it go.
They could also be naturally ill-tempered and unpleasant, so don’t take what they say personally. You happened to be a convenient target.
Let it go.
Most importantly, don’t be that person who treats others poorly, even when you are in pain, feeling a sense of loss, or are unhappy.
If anything, our hurts and personal grief are tools that can shape us to be more compassionate and empathetic.
How much freer and kinder to live that way!
Besides, “loving your neighbor as yourself” is the second greatest commandment. ❤️