I am writing this on the berry directly into Blogger, so please pardon the spelling errors and grammar flubs.
I am here for an annual check-up and it seems that tempers are high and patience is low.
A walk-in patient was taken in before a woman with an appointment. The woman with an appointment very aggressively challenged the walk-in’s husband (still seated outside in the common area). A combination of ‘your wife shouldn’t have gone in before me’ to ’she was an emergency case, you don’t get to make that call’ was fine, though annoying.
Suddenly, it becamse ’shut up’ to ‘no, I think you’d better shut up’, too loudly and aggressively for any good to come of it.
Clearly, we’d just stepped into the Middle East peace negotiations.
I am seated in a slightly separate area, though we could all see one another. As soon as the ’shut up’s were introduced, I put my book down and went over to calm both cartoon characters down since the nurses and admin assistants were merely watching in fascination.
When I first threw my hat into the ring, the husband turned his aggression toward me. Thankfully, I somehow pulled the right comments out of my ass and he laughed and I was able to sit next to Woman-With-Appointment and cool both of their shit down.
No more than 5 minutes it took to confirm they weren’t angry at one another, but rather the administration. Also, that it was Monday and no one wanted to start their week off being told to shut up. And that it was rude to do so, under any circumstance where the players are above the age of 7.
When they focussed their attention on The Man rather than one another, I excused myself to come here and tell you, because I think there’s an important lesson to be learned: honestly, and without tongue in cheek, if peace is what you want to find, then peace is precisely what you’ll get. (There’s usually almost always common ground, if you’re interested in finding and owning it – even with the greatest of asshats. We just need to care enough, and I sometimes find it easier with a stranger who I don’t know from a hole in the wall, than with someone I know personally who has hurt either myself or someone I love.)
As the Woman-With-Appointment left, she said “thanks for stepping in…I was getting nervous because I don’t think he was going to stop”, and as the husband was leaving, he flipped me a thumb’s up and offerred a “you did good, kid”.
Score:
Maha 1
Week 0
*Sigh*. I wish COACH ERIC TAYLOR (HI!) had been here to witness my -clearly – supreme negotiation skills.
8 Comments
I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!
Beautiful
Stealthy
Witty
AND
A Diplomat
xoxo
YAY YOU!!
Good job, KID!
Hugs and high fives and multiple squeeeees!!
Hugs,
Maria
You are so much fucking braver than most people. Most people would have sat around burying their heads trying to avoid the conflict. This is one of the reasons I think you're awesome. -lily
I think it's wonderful that you stepped in and did this. However, I will caution you to be careful next time because there are many very cruel people who do not understand anyone coming in good faith! Please be careful – often times goodness is lost on people.
I am proud to be a reader of yours – this is just another reason for that.
Thomas
Heroine!
You are gorgeous. Gorgeous women get away with it all ;p
Steve
I read this after sending the message to your FB inbox and having read this, I'm more glad I did as it's a prime example of what I mean.
I stick to what I wrote on FB a while ago, we need you to reproduce so the world can have more brilliant, excellent, caring and generous people like you.
xoxo
JANEY! You're the first, to comment! LOVE YOU. I read it and laughed as soon as you told me you had commented!!!! I always get so excited when you comment…
Thank you all
Thomas – noted. I thought of that after, actually!!
Steve – for now, I will count a little bit on the looks
Sumaira – You are always so amazingly supportive; thank you. Reproduction. Yes. Inshallah. I dunno anymore, but we'll see what the cards hold for me
(I read your message and don't know where to begin my response. As usual, you had me crying over t=my berry as I read…xoxo)
hugsies, m
Could you be both a writer AND an international diplomat sometimes? I think that'd be great.
to copy the wonderful people who precede me, this is why we think you're the best.
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