Pay it Forward...

Today was my first day back after vacation. To say I wasn't feeling the love for the day is an understatement. I arrive at work to find an inbox full of emails and as soon as I signed on, everyone felt it was necessary to IM me and welcome me back and then tell me what their needs were.  I was trying to hang on to my vacation buzz, so patiently responded with only slight cussing under my breath.  And then my pal, Valerie, sends me an IM, "hey, I forgot my coat and I'm cold, so will you send down your blanket with my boss when you see him."  Like I have nothing but time on my hands. Does this look like you are flying the friendly skies? No.  So, as a friend, I try and help her out by responding, "You should really bring your own blanket from home so that you have one on hand."  She responds, "So, you're not going to bring the the blanket?" Valerie is smart, I like that. I asked her if she enjoyed the lecture, and I believe she said she did, can't remember her exact words.

And so the day goes on, and lunch time rolls around.  I didn't have time to make lunch, so I head to Jack in the Box.  Now, as a fat girl who just made a public proclamation that she was going to eat healthier, I figure I'll do my part and get a sourdough jack, no sauce and regular fries, not curly.  The drive up window order taker girl was very nice.  I mean, she spoke English, she was clear, she was friendly and she even offered me a funnel cake for just $1.  She was everything I needed her to be.  I did decline on the funnel cake, I mean, I did go easy on the sauce for crying out loud, didn't want to ruin my health kick.  I get up to the window and the order taker girl was super nice and she stopped and looked at me and said, "I really like your hair, it is really pretty."  I mean, she didn't say it just to say it, she clearly thought about it and said it from the heart. Clearly she was qualified to make that call, I mean, she probably sees a lot of ugly people every day, so I felt good about it.  I wish I had agreed to the funnel cake, I mean, maybe she gets a kick back for it, or some sort of funnel commission.  I left feeling good, nonetheless. I looked in the rear view mirror and had to agree about my hair, it was kind of fluffy today.

I went back to work, feeling my pretty hair buzz, when Valerie IM'd me again.  This time, she was clearly in distress. "I am losing patients!! And I am sick of people being negative and....blah blah blah."  Again, I felt like I should be a good friend by helping her education, and, I wanted to pay it forward with positive energy, so I told her, "I would only be concerned about losing "patients" if you were a doctor. Now if you are losing patience, I suggest you be the change you want to see in the world.  BE THE CHANGE."  Her response was, "Who is this?  Where is Cassondra?"  I told her about Jack in the Box and that I was paying it forward. She then copied and pasted the blanket lecture I had given her several hours before into our chat.  She had a point, who was I trying to fool. I promised not to let it happen again. People don't like it when I am positive, they like it when I am bitchy and snarky.  I realized at that moment that if I was going to be the change I wanted to see in the world, I was going to have to go chew someone's ass, because the change I want to see in the world is for everyone to be more responsive to MY needs.  So, I went and chewed out the manager filling in for my boss while he is on vacation.  I felt good about it and I think he did too.