Loading ...If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Something happened today that made me really question my patience. I went to the store across the street from where I work to pick up a sandwich for lunch and made my way to the 10 items or less line. In front of me in line stood someone with a cart full of items. She surely had over ten, perhaps even over twenty. As usually occurs in situations like this, the clerk said nothing.
Because I had nothing else to do while I was waiting in line behind her except to notice how heavy the items in my arms were becoming while regretting not using a cart myself, I began to count the items as they were handed to the clerk. At nine items I looked down at the cart and knew that this woman had violated “10 items or less” etiquette. But then I was surprised. She stopped and said that she had more than one order and wanted multiple transactions. As I stood behind her and counted the number of items in each transaction the ten item limit was never reached. I felt that she had cheated the system and gotten away with something.
Was it right for me to feel this way?
Definitely cheating the system. What’s more, these multiple transactions likely caused even more of a delay, right?
Incidentally, I was watching a television show about the upcoming Beijing Olympics and they were interviewing ordinary Chinese citizens who were fighting to get to the front of the line at a particular store. They said, “Why would someone want to line up? If you do that you might have to wait longer!” Apparently they don’t have the custom of lining up over there.
I share your frustration. People who cheat the system think they are being terribly clever, but the “system” is all of us, including themselves. Aaarghhh! The world would simply be a better place if more people cared about the needs of others above our own.
Robert
I don’t know the spiritual condition of that lady but generally a believer would not look for a loophole in the checkout line. So I would approach this from that standpoint - since she probably doesn’t care that she is in violation, then she might not be a believer. So with that in mind, should we get upset over a person who is still in darkness and lacks understanding? I personally would not. How could I expect anything of that person if they don’t follow the same Master? That said, I do not mean to imply that all infractions should be disregarded like criminal offenses. But for small things like this, I chalk it up to their following the instinct of the flesh.
Same with people cutting in line - just let them go. Or if someone looks agitated and impatient - let them get in front of you.