I am a very passionate person in all that I do, be it good, bad or indifferent. I drive my husband crazy, sometimes in good ways, sometimes bad. It must be worth it because he's still here.
There is a problem at my youngest son's school. Parents choose to check their brains at the entrance of the parking lot. They consistently park where they are not supposed to, they stop in areas they are not allowed to stop in, and they block parked cars in. The latter was what happened to me Friday. I parked in a designated parking spot (I love rules, I follow rules) and someone blocked me in. I stepped out of my car and probably said something along the line of "Holy Sh--"!! (Can't remember, I was angry), and the woman said "oh, do you think you can get out?" I snapped back "doesn't look like it!" One would think at that point she would have moved her van, but no, she didn't. I returned from retrieving #3 and she was no where to be seen with her van unmoved. I did the exasperated pull forward, pull back with my car (drama, drama) knowing I couldn't get out. When she finally walked up to her van she said "well, I would have moved sooner if you hadn't been so rude". I yelled back "wait, you blocked me in and then have the nerve to call me rude?" (I'm sure I used the 'F' bomb in there somewhere, can't remember for sure). From that point I proceeded to rip her a new one like I never have before. I wasn't having a bad day and taking it out on her, I was just tired of the stupid people in the parking lot.
All weekend I continually tried to justify myself in my own head. Yes, she was in the wrong for blocking me in, but that Godly little voice inside gnawed at me the entire weekend. Stacy, should you have really been that combative? Should you really have used those words? I watch all those people in the parking lot, I know who the really bad ones are, and she's not one of them. Damn, once again, conscience wins.
So today, I approached her and apologized for the argument. She accepted my apology and said that she felt bad all weekend for blocking me in. I now know her name and will start greeting her in a friendly manner. I have a hard time believing that conscience is a natural human instinct, it has to come from a divine creator. Had I gone with my natural human instinct, I would have been sitting in jail all weekend on assault charges.
Aly Cat 121 said...
Okay that is too funny! I can totally understand because it irks me too when people double park and block me in or park in crazy ways therefore making it impossible for me to drive. And resolving "issues" that can bother you after the fact is always good. Even tho it may not feel like it at the time it probably would have bothered you even more had you not made peace with the incident. I get like that sometimes myself. But sometimes, just sometimes I want to be able to not feel bad about "being bad"
4:43 PM
kaufman said...
"I have a hard time believing that conscience is a natural human instinct, it has to come from a divine creator."Do you think guilt is natural?
4:54 PM
Stacy said...
No, guilt nor conscience. Neither exist in the animal kingdom. I've never seen my cat feel bad about hurling on my carpet.
6:06 PM
sbp said...
I am neatly reminded of my own driving habits and the conscious decision I've made not to post any Christian bumper stickers on my car. I would much rather another driver think, "That woman is a b----" instead of "Christians suck."I often find myself singing praise songs along with my CD player, breaking into a stream of shouted curses, and sliding happily back into the song as though I had wished the other driver good morning.I think it would be wonderfully ironic if you and this woman became friends.
8:50 PM
Mills Snowden said...
She is probably the same type of oblivion who casually turns at a crowded intersection well after her light has turned red. You don't even want to know what I said to the two teens I tracked down for racing through the neighborhood on the wrong side of the street a couple of nights ago. My conscience would have been troubling me had I not.
7:24 AM
Stacy said...
Agreed Mills, the difference between rudeness and potentially dangerous drivers is vast. I've said plenty to dangerous drivers over the years.
7:29 AM
kaufman said...
But we ourselvese are animals and we have many distinctions from others. Our ability to reason for instance, is a natural instinct. I think maybe that is from where our conscience may derive.
9:06 AM
Stacy said...
K, you are completely entitled to your opinion, but I don't consider people animals. Mammals sure, animals no. It is our ability to process information that seperates us from the animals. Go shave, maybe you'll feel less animal like.
9:18 AM
kaufman said...
I am not offended, and I hope you are not as well...I am just curious. Thank you for your viewpoint. I will continue to read your blog. Quite entertaining I must say.
11:39 AM
Stacy said...
Can't retrieve comment 9, am thinking of switching to Typepad.Aaarr
7:35 PM
Housewife said...
OH that sounds just like me too! I am always doing crap like that and then regretting it and then having to go back and make amends. You'd think I would have learned by now.But like a good friend once told me, "when you go from being suicidal to homicidal it's called progress." I'll learn some balance somehow; I just have to remember to let God have me. Thanks for that great post and letting me know I'm not alone.
4:10 PM