Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 159 – Take Two CC and Call Me in the Morning
Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 159 – Take Two CC and Call Me in the Morning
Two CC
Last week I wrote about the two words that mean so much; a simple “thank you” and how far those words could go, both for the speaker and the recipient. I had planned a different course this week, but it seems that fate has forced me to continue on the path I started with those two words.
This past weekend, I was painfully reminded of a few more words that, like the words “thank you,” can make a major difference in your life. But, unlike the words that are spoken, these are words that are lived and acted, without the need to be verbalized. And, what is more, when they are used, often no one will notice, which is, quite frankly, just as it should be.
My wife and I attended evening mass on Saturday, the vigil of Palm Sunday. Fr. Charles always humorously refers to Palm Sunday and Ash Wednesday as the bargain days, because so many people he has never seen on a given Sunday show up on these two days for the free premiums. And, as if in fulfillment of his prophecy, the church was packed with unfamiliar faces. Unfamiliar, yes, but welcomed, nonetheless.
After Saturday evening services, Ruth and I always go to dinner. Could that be our reward for going to church? Don’t tell her I said that. Anyway, this time we went to one of our favorite local family restaurants. I ordered one of my usual standbys, a Caesar Salad with grilled chicken and dressing on the side. I had worked hard all day laying a new kitchen floor, so I splurged and had that tomato bisque with crabmeat as well.
As we sat waiting for our meal, another couple was seated nearby; a man and wife about our age, perhaps a little younger. After a few minutes of chit-chat and ordering their food, the man pulls out his phone and begins a conversation using the walkie-talkie feature. You know, that annoying little feature where you hear a squealing beep after each person is done talking and then you can hear the other person speaking. Yes, that feature.
We listened to the conversation for a minute or two, for it was impossible for the entire dining room not to hear. I wanted to make sure the man was not a volunteer fireman, as I had run into a few that got calls while they were at dinner. The conversation was a continuous string of small talk about his dog, his car keys and anything else he could think of. All this took place, sadly, while ignoring the wife who was sitting right next to him.
When the conversation failed to end after several minutes, my wife turned around and was about to say something, when I spoke. “Excuse me, but could you please take that conversation outside.” With this, the man launched into a tirade beginning with the words Jesus Christ and moving on to how it was none of my business and his how it was his right to talk on the phone, how he has had to listen to other people talk on their phones and a lot of things I don’t even remember right now. I told him how annoying it was and that we were here to enjoy our dinner and not listen to his conversation. He began again, but was interrupted by a lady in the booth behind us who told him that it was bad enough to hear one side of the conversation, but with that thing she hade to hear both along with all the noise. To this the booth behind chimed in to express their displeasure, as well.
You would think, by this time, that the man would see that he was outnumbered and clearly in the wrong, but that was not the case. The waitress was making her way over to our table and after I lost my cool and called the man an a-hole and told him in no uncertain terms that I could assist him in going outside, I asked to have our table moved, which was done immediately. As we got up to move, I glared at him and said the sentence containing the words. “Buddy, you really need to learn to use a little common sense and courtesy.”
Make no mistake, I was in the wrong here too, by letting this thing escalate. Perhaps I should just quietly have asked our waitress for a new table, but I am one of those people who believes that every once in a while rude people need rude lessons.
We are all passengers on this planet and in our journey through life we must come to the realization that our needs do not always come first. This is so very true in a public place and yet more and more we see the needs of the one take precedence over the needs of the many. It is not a difficult lesson to learn and it can be accomplished by applying a little common sense and a measure of courtesy.
In a restaurant or the theater, at the gym or in the mall, in traffic or out for a walk, all it takes is a small dose of common sense and courtesy to boost your immunity to adversity. So take two CC and call me in the morning.
...after I lost my cool and called the man an a-hole and told him in no uncertain terms that I could assist him in going outside...
This made me chuckle. I'm sure the guy had NO IDEA the kind of trouble he would have had if he accepted your 'assistance'. DON'T MESS WITH MAHLER!
__________________ “I have always done my duty. I am ready to die. My only regret is for the friends I leave behind me.”
-- Zachary Taylor, 12th U.S. President, 1849-1850
Great story! You have more patience than I do Mahler.
Cell phones in general really bug me. It's gotten to the point where when I go out with friends I leave my phone in the car unless I'm actually expecting a call.
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"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -- T.S. Eliot
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."-- Aristotle
The problem is that people like that never learn the lesson. If he had been a reasonable person he would have either apologized and terminated the call or he would have taken it outside. Instead he probably spent the rest of the night seething about all the jerks in that restaurant. Good job though John. Too often we let those folks ruin things for everyone. You were paying for a good meal in a pleasant setting with your wife, not with walkie talkie man.
You were right to challenge him on his rudeness, John. Too bad it got a little out of hand. The world would be a lot better place if people did indeed exercise a greater degree of common sense and courtesy.
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"Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right." - Henry Ford
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
"Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
nice story, although it would have been way better if you had "assisted" him in going outside.
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Audentes Fortunas Juvat
"Focus on making the 5 lifts stronger and getting enough food. There will be plenty of time to worry about glycemic indexes, PERs, and Bulgarian Split squats later. Much later."-Mark Rippetoe
Mighty Mahler strikes again - it was good to hear that others voiced their displeasure alsoa dnbacked you up.
Reminds me of that frasier episode where frasier stands up to a man who steals his chair "what you need my friend is an etiquette lesson" LOL
__________________
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Walk on
With hope in your heart
And You'll Never Walk Alone
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There's no free lunch, especially when it's served with special sauce (lostdog)
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I like it. Alot. You're right, he'll never learn his lesson. A polite person, in the first place, would have a. had the phone off in the first place b. at least had it on vibrate c. had the walkie-talkie feature turned off d. fuck that - he should have just excused himself for a minute and take the damn call outside.
I repeat... you should've kicked his ass! :p
This guy was a tool and will never understand the reaction of the other patrons. It sounds like you get worked up over 'cell yell' like I do the assholes that toss their lit cigarettes out their car window as if the world is their ashtray. Mrs. FlyinM is positive that I will get my ass whipped or worse just because I feel the need to deliver a 'rude lesson'. I tell her that I try to keep it in check, but sometimes you just can't sit on the sidelines.
Great MMMM.
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Those that can't do teach. Those that can't teach consult. Deserve aka Gabe
'8 replies before the gutter! Good job Clubhouse!!!!!' Ninjabookey
Rest and relaxation can be a powerful “nothing” to propel us to greater achievements. Mahler
Stop listening to your wiener. He may want to go for a swim, but you haven't checked if the waters are shark infested yet. Ninjabookey
This guy was a tool and will never understand the reaction of the other patrons. It sounds like you get worked up over 'cell yell' like I do the assholes that toss their lit cigarettes out their car window as if the world is their ashtray. Mrs. FlyinM is positive that I will get my ass whipped or worse just because I feel the need to deliver a 'rude lesson'. I tell her that I try to keep it in check, but sometimes you just can't sit on the sidelines.
Great MMMM.
The cigarette thing pisses me off too. You want to kill yourself with 'em? Fine. But, don't toss your butts all over the place. I usually flash my lights and blow the horn, but I am sure they have no idea why. Ignorant people rarely do.
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
Now you've nailed my pet peeve. I don't get how people who would never dream of throwing a candy wrapper on the ground will just toss a butt without thinking twice. When I worked as a janitor it was amazing how much of my time was spent cleaning up after the smokers.
__________________ The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -- Carlos Castaneda
Great story John, I hate having to hear someone else on the phone when I am trying to enjoy dinner. They are worse than the really loud talkers. You know the one I am talking about. The one that is telling a story and wants the whole restaraunt to know what they are talking about. That drives me crazy. Good for you!
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Your accomplishments can only be as big as your heart.
1. Mahler does not order from the menu. He points to the things he thinks deserve to die, and they are brought before him.
Great message John. Some people really need to be put in their place and removed from our gene pool.
E
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"It's what you've got inside that matters. The details and technological things will take you only so far. You still have to pedal the bike. Some people are always looking for the magic secret. There's no secret. Just bust your ass." -Dave Zabriskie
Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 159 – Take Two CC and Call Me in the Morning
Good job though John. Too often we let those folks ruin things for everyone. You were paying for a good meal in a pleasant setting with your wife, not with walkie talkie man.
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