My Messed Up Mind

Yesterday's Verse:

People who accept correction are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore it will lead others astray. (Prov 10:17)

Last night I was reminded (again) that waitressing is a thankless profession. We do get a lot of abuse from mean customers. Here is what happened and my response.

One of the men at one of my tables stood up - fingered me over and then YELLED at me for a solid minute about not filling up his coffee fast enough. Yelling I can mostly handle, but he threw in a few choice swear words as well. I returned with the coffee pot - throughly embarrassed because it was the height of the rush and everyone in the restaurant heard.

Yesterday in my devotions on of the questions to go with the above verse was: How open to discipline are you? I responded "I'm not very open to discipline because I think that I am right all the time." - Well I do, and forgetting this verse, and remembering how I think I am right all the time I told the man as I filled up his coffee cup that I was sorry I took so long with the coffee, but swearing at me was not the appropriate response and it was offensive to me.

NOW I couldn't just stop there. As my mind reeled around and around what had happened I was tempted more than once (ok, more than 10 times) to return to the table and give him a piece of my mind. The speech I made up in my head went like this.

"Sir, I know you are upset about the coffee situation but you have to understand that I have been working for 14 hours straight today. I dealt with 19 7 year olds all day and then came here to work. I work this much because I live in the best country in the world that unfortunately requires me to pay out the nose for a post-secondary eduction so I can work in a career I enjoy - but doesn't pay enough - which is why I am waitressing in the first place. IN ADDITION to working three jobs to pay off my student loans, I am also raising my two younger sisters." NOW all of that is true - except the last part that I mostly made up just for sympathy. My parents are in Ontario for a few weeks so in theory, I'm taking care of my sisters. But they are 18! I thought I should spread that sick rumor around to all my tables just to get more tips! I'm hopeless.

Here's a picture of the two sisters I am 'raising'