Cindy,
I thought you'd enjoy this. It was written on one of the blogs I follow. It's long, I know, but at least the first 1/2 is very similar to your experiences. I didn't want to chop it off in case someone REALLY wanted to know the ending!
Mission Monday
Today was, well, interesting.
I helped supervise Gabriel's first popcorn sale at a grocery store. He'd never done it before, and, for that matter, neither had I. Nikolas has been in scouts for years, and he usually sells over $1000 worth of popcorn. He's never done a show and sell, though. He packs it up in the wagon and walks around the neighborhood with The Hubster.
You know what a show and sell is, right? Every time that you go to a store, and you see all these kids standing outside asking you to buy product - those are show and sells.
Gabe was
so excited. He put on his uniform early, and bounced around the van until we arrived. He grabbed a box of popcorn, and spoke out to each person as they passed, "Do you want to buy some popcorn?" He wasn't ugly about it, he was perfectly polite. And you know what? I never realized exactly how rude people can be to little kids. And how invisible little kids are to adults. I'm guilty of that myself. I mean, really, when you go to the store, do you really want to be hit up to support a band/buy some cookies/big candy bars/popcorn?
I got down onto his level a few times, just to see the world and the action as he was seeing it, and it blew me away. Grown ups are TALL, people. And when you are six, and you are built up and excited to sell popcorn, and you oh so happily ask someone if they want to buy, and you have to tilt your head way up oh-so-high just to meet their eyes, it's kind of hurtful when that grown up brushes by you without a glance, much less even meet your eyes. There were some really nice people who gave donations - one guy gave $10, which floored me. That's a lot of money to just donate. I found myself growing angry with a few people. How hard is it, really, to take time out of your day just to say hi? To answer a question with kindness, and grace, and poise? Who are you, really, to brush by another human being without a response, especially to a nicely worded, pleasant request? Do you lose a bit of yourself by being kind to another?
Which leads me to a(nother) question for you, and then your Mission for Monday.
Are you the type of person who greets the checker, has a conversation, and thanks them? What about the person who makes your coffee? Or the order taker at the fast food drivethru? The clerk at the dry cleaners? The bookseller?
I'm kind of a mixed bag. I'll chat up anyone, anywhere. I probably give away more personal information than is prudent, sometimes, in my quest to have some adult interaction. I have personal relationships with the baristas at Starbucks, and was saddened when a few of them left. (They went to AFRICA. Geesh, way to get away from me!) At the same point in time, I can be a bit of a cold fish. I'm often wrapped up in my own mind, running through plot lines in my book that I STILL haven't gotten back to, or thinking about what I'm going to write here or over at larger families, or trying desperately to think of where my ring could be. (Day 11 of ring watch - that's what I get for losing weight - it was loose on my finger and it used to fall off all the time - that's how it got lost, I'm certain. Now, if it could just get FOUND.)
So, your Mission for today is to be pleasant to everyone. As in, every single person you come into contact with deserves a smile, a "Hi there, how are you?", a head nod of greeting. If, by some chance, you shake their hand, you MUST give eye contact. (Oh, that's a HUGE one with me. I can't stand to shake someone's hand at church and they are busy scoping out the rest of the pew for the next conquest.)
Can you do it? Can you be nice to all? All day long? It'll be tough for me, since my kids and The Hubster are OFF SCHOOL AND WORK MONDAY. I guess the true test for me will be if I can be nice to them all day.
You don't have to buy the popcorn, for Pete's sake. Just try to remember what it's like to be the person on the other side. If it was you, how would you want to be treated?
Oh, and who is the most pleasant person you know? Would anyone name you? I KNOW it wouldn't be me.
****Edited to add: I don't know if I can do this today. It's only 7:45 and one of my little girls wet the bed. When I set her on the potty to empty out the rest of her, while I wet a cloth to wash her, she promptly peed all over the bathroom floor. That, combined with the gastric upset of my youngest, should make for fuuuuuuun today. But, I'm going to SMILE. Even if it kills me.***
well I'm worried cause your hubby threatened me with the bread yesterday 
Or at least until it grows out if it's really obvious.
