As many of you know....

I think:  

I really do.  I think there's a right way and a wrong way to treat people.  I think it IS possible to keep it classy when something pisses you off, and I think that sometimes, the madder you are, the less control you have over your behaviors only makes you look like an ass.....all the while, hurting, belittling, and upsetting those around you.

Today, was a perfect example of that....So this morning I wake up at Jerimy's....like I normally do, and E's getting ready for school...I'm stumbling around looking for my keys and realize I don't have them.  At this point, total and utter fear sets in at the thought that I may have locked them in my car!  Which makes you say multiple expletives in your head as you run out the door to check.

"DAMNIT DAMINT DAMINT!" you exclaim when you see your bundle of keys hanging in the ignition, with a locked door between you and your main mode of transportation.

I call Jerimy....he's at work by now and doesn't answer.  I call my mom...."Mom?!  Did my car come with a spare key when we bought it?"  She can't remember, I was thinking it only had one, but she said she'd go home and check....I'd already called the Delphos Police Department to ask them if they got cars unlocked, but they said "no" and gave me the name and #'s of a couple local guys who did.  So I called the first one on the list and he said he couldn't get to me for twenty minutes.  So I told E to see if anyone could pick him up and take him to school...while I got Jerimy's car unlocking tools out of the garage.  I basically read the manual, and was going to go try and attempt to use said tools when the lock guy called me and said he was outside.

So I tell him.."Be right out" and I go out to meet him....when I walk around the corner of the house, I see my mother's jeep, and then I see my mother, UNLOCKING my car....she'd found a spare, and came right over....I had no idea she was coming or that there was a key....I looked at the guy in the truck behind her and made a very apologetic face and mouthed "Sooooorry" to him, but before I could get over there to him, he threw it in reverse, peeled /squealed his tires and was gone!  I called Jerimy to tell him what happened, and while I was on the phone with Jerimy, the guy called me and left me a voicemail.  I told Jerimy when I got off the phone with him, I'd call the guy and apologize.  I didn't listen to the voicemail, i just called him back....he answered and I said "{insert name here}, I'm so sorry, I didn't know my mom had a key and I didn't know she was coming....I didn't even know if my car came with a spare key...." He just said, I don't care, you have really pissed me off....normally I charge people for coming out.....but forget it! and he hung up on me.

So I texted him and asked him to send me an address where I could forward the $20 to, I'd be more than happy to pay him for coming out, after all I had used his time, and it's only fair to compensate him for that....

No reply.

So I got a shower, got dressed, went to the ATM machine, got out $20.00 and I went to the place I thought he worked at.  I wasn't entirely sure.

I walked in the front door, and a man walked around the corner to meet me.  He looked angry...

"are you {insert name here}?" I asked.

"Yes" he said while recognition spread across his face.  He looked at me, he looked at the $20 dollar bill in my fingers and said, leave, I don't want your money!"

"But sir, I'd like to pay you for your time, you came, and I'd like you to take this for your trouble"

"I don't want your money, just leave."

"I didn't know my mother was coming with the key, I didn't even know there WAS a key....I wouldn't of ever intentionally wasted your time, I swear it"

"Well SOMEONE called her!?!?!?"

Yes, I did, but she was simply going to LOOK to see if there WAS a key, I didn't know there would be one!"

He contemplated it a moment....I could see the vision of him physically throwing me out on my ass and/or taking my money flashing across his face....

I spoke up once more, "I really am sorry...I don't want there to be hard feelings here, it was just a mistake.  If I'd of known she found a key, I'd of called you and told you not to come!"

He ended up taking my money, NOT throwing me out in the snow on my ass, but once I was in my car, oohhh boy did the tears start bubbling up.  Damnit!  He made me cry I thought.  I didn't want to, but I was so upset by the fact that just one little mistake could make a total stranger hate me, refuse my money, curse at me....all while I continued to make it right with him.  I was trying to put my best foot forward and it was like being hit in the forehead with a sledge hammer talking to him.

Granted, I will never again step foot into his business, I will never send anyone else to his business, but I wanted to have things square between us.  I called him for a service, I paid him for said service.  Now we're even.

But it sure was a lousy start to the day, to be berated and for what?!  $20?!?!  

Meeting men like the one I met this morning, sure, sure, sure make me appreciate the kind, gentle men you come across in life.  My Grandpa Rollie was a gentle soul.  You know, the more I think about it, even if I'd made that guy mad, he didn't have to treat me like he wanted to murder me, and then bury my body where nobody would ever find it.

So, while it took all that I had to not treat him the way he was treating me...I'm glad I could manage to keep myself from being a person LIKE HIM.  I don't ever want to be "that guy"....

And to the guy who made me cry today, I hope you enjoy the fact that today you made someone's daughter cry, someone's sister, someone's cousin and someone's girlfriend.  I have a really big family....REALLY big, and the ones who've asked me who made me cry....they said they'd never bring their business to you ever again.  In a small town, your name, your reputation is everything....customer service is THE reason people come back time and time again....based on what I saw today, treating people the way I was treated, I feel sorry for the good people you'll continue to lose because you're unable to be kind, when things don't go your way.  Gotta roll with the punches...and in business....you have to be able to handle yourself, because YOU are the face of your company....if the face of your company goes around making people cry....I worry for your company's longevity.

I now know who to NEVER call when I need help.

Chevy Garage is going to get my business from now on.  Those guys out there have been great to me in the past, and I wish I'd of called them this morning instead.

Lesson learned.

Oh and while I'm talking about Local Delphos Businesses, to end this on a very happy note, I want to tell you guys of just a few of MY favorite Delphos Businesses....#1 Fischer Plumbing & Heating....those people are so fantastic, I cannot tell you how wonderful they have been to me....SUPERB customer service.

#2 - Baked to Perfection.....Talk about a enjoyable experience each and every time I go there!  <3 them!

#3 - Schrader Realty - Krista and her team are by far one of the most helpful, protective of their people, hard working group of agents to ever walk into a realty company.  They really are amazing at what they do, and they really CARE about the people they do business with.

Just to name a few...

There are businesses in town that make the "America's Friendliest City" sign that is posted on our town's borders no lie.

~Heather Lynn~