Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Will I Ever Grow Up?

I’m 71. By now I should have a grip on my explosive temper, don’t you think? No so, as I relearned that lesson today.

As part of my job, I seal boxes of medical specimens for shipment. This involves dry ice, packing tape, I Pad  entries, etc. My last stop is the Regional West Hospital in Scottsbluff, NE.  In a nearby parking lot are some nice shade trees so I park in the (very broad) traffic lane and do my ten minute job. Doesn’t inconvenience anyone and the hospital security people are ok with it.

Today as I’m working a blivet and blivette (a blivet is two pounds of shit in a one pound bag) pull up along side of me in a ratty Geo Tracker. The blivet driver proceeds to say something along the lines of, “You Colorado drivers are real dumb shits, parking in the RED Zone” or words to that effect and starts to drive off. 

My reply, “Go fuck yourself”, resulted in him slamming to a stop, jumping out of his POS, and getting in my face. He is about 50, a few inches shorter than me but just as fat. So now we have two hot heads jawing at each other. He left before it got physical, damn it. (Maybe my lucky day).

Turning around I saw this older lady with her cell phone recording the whole thing. Her remarks clearly showed her to be sympathetic to me.

“What was his problem? You are just doing your job”, she said.

 I thanked her for having my back.

My lesson from all this is, I still have a hot temper and a short fuse. Despite all the problems this has caused me in my life I don’t have good (or any) control. Fuck it, don’t mean shit, drive on.


6 comments:

Coffeypot said...

Old age just means the reflexes are slower. It don't change nuttin and it don't mean nuttin. At least you didn't shoot him.

Ami said...

Probably good for both of you that it was just verbal. Hothead.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

What bothers me is I gave that blivet the time of day.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

I'm sure you are right. Doubt I heal as fast nowadays.

CenTexTim said...

I also have a temper that has led me to do things I later regret. Two things that help me control it.

1) I consider the source. If it's someone that is clueless, and/or is irrelevant or has no business commenting or butting in, I ignore them.

2) Ignoring the butt-in-skis usually pisses them off even more, which makes me happy.

Of course, telling 'em to go fuck themselves is also satisfying.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Any number of ways I could have handled the situation. Mulling them over, I like that I'm still combative; nobody's victim.