@JeffC 40966 wrote:
It took me several years to realize this (having little kids greatly accelerates the process) but it is ALWAYS, ALWAYS harder to deal with a difficult, stressful situation the way you have in a polite, turn the other cheek, even-keeled demeanor. The easy way out is to scream, shout call the other person a bad name and stomp like an ape. That is the evolutionary path of least resistance like the apes dancing to the obelisk in the opening scene of “2001 A Space Odyssey.” That is not being tough though, it is the easy way out.
The extremely hard path is to take a deep breath, smile and say a reasoned, tactful response in a polite way, try a faux British accent (there is a setting for that on my wife’s Garmin or think John Cleese answering Kevin Kline about Americans in “Fish Called Wanda”).
Having two little kids that push my buttons at least once a week helps one’s patience. In a way the state of mind of a small child is probably (sadly) not that different from a stressed driver in DC–I know I have been a stressed driver in DC sometimes as well.
Keep up the good work and remember the faux British accent.
Ah small children v. stressed drivers – I think you may be on to something here, similarities abound, except for the bed wetting – well maybe that too.
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