Anatomy of a Bad Day
Looking back on a day that got away:
7:40am: Woke up after 9 hours of sleep. Felt fresh, ready for the day, and proclaimed to myself that it was gonna be a great one.
8:30am: Made some coffee. Fully caffeinated too, not the wimpy half-caf I have gotten used to. Loved every sip. The energy was building. Yep, it was gonna be a good day.
10:00am: Arrived at work. Surveyed the situation. Co-workers feeling sick. One never even showed up. Who cares! I can carry everyone. Maybe it was the caffeine talking, but I was convinced. It was gonna be a good day, damn it. Laughed and chatted with some regular customers. So far, so good.
12:30pm: Been on the register for hours. Short-handed staff. Non-stop line. Coffee buzz wearing off. Getting hungry. Maybe I just need to sit down for a few minutes. And oh by the way, is it me or does every customer seem really needy and whiny today? Suddenly everyone seems to be having a bad day, and wants to take it out on me. I must have forgotten to take off my punching bag costume from the other night.
12:50pm: Lunch time. Damn do I need a break. Head over for some Thai food. Got caught in a downpour. Lovely. Lunch was ok but once it was totally polished off, I felt like putting a fist through the styrofoam container it came in. Not sure why, just a little agitated I guess. Break time almost over. Took one look around me. No part of me wanted to go back to work. Throat starting to hurt again, like it was a few days ago. Just feeling tired. Not food-coma tired, but weary. Sooooo weary. Ate some chocolate. Didn't help.
2:00pm: Been making drinks for an hour or so. Can't quite remember why I thought today would be a good day. Feeling stuck, miserable and exhausted. Ask one of my female co-workers if this is what pms feels like. She confirms. Decide that I need a vacation. Trying to go there in my mind, right now, but somehow have to keep working. Homeless woman cuts the line and slams a big cup down at the counter, asking for ice. That gets my attention. I tell her she has to wait in line like everyone else. How dare she.
2:30pm: Regular customer asks how my day is going. I half-smile. Eh. She looks at me in horror, tells me that its the first time in all her years of coming into the store that she has ever heard me say anything like that. You're always smiling, she says. Not today honey. We both laugh. I feel my soul crumble a little bit. If only she knew how I really feel. Directly in my line of sight, homeless woman is stealing milk from the condiment bar and pouring it over the ice I gave her. I yell to her that the milk is for paying customers. She says she paid. I ask her what she bought. She replies: a free sample. Oh yeah. Duh. Why this infuriates me, I have no idea.
2:31pm: Contemplate crying, screaming, or running away. Or all of the above. I do none. Too busy.
3:30pm: Sit down to take a break, wondering what the hell has happened to my good day. So far gone now, I can't even begin to put the pieces back together. Frustration has built to a crescendo. Post "#@!#!!" as my Facebook status. Ugh. May as well spread the misery.
5:00pm: Co-worker gives me a thank-you card for being patient with her when she wasn't feeling well, and taking care of her during her shift. Aww. How sweet. Try to remember what I was so pissed off about all day, but it's starting to get hazy now. Maybe I'm losing it. Closing soon. Whew.
6:00pm: Doors locked. Delivery guy breaks my key off in the door. Disgust returns, but only briefly. He will lock up when he's done. No worries. One more thing. Must leave a thank-you card for opening supervisor. She did so much to help me before she left today. Have to let her know how grateful I am.
6:30pm: Rode home, reflecting on the day gone by. Felt like I was on a rollercoaster all day, and was unable to get off it. How the hell did I get on it in the first place? Good day gone bad, with no real reasons. Just forgot I had a choice. Forgot to ask for help. Forgot to smile. Forgot everything. Got caught, big-time. Oh well. Thankful to have another chance to remember.
Today's lesson: You have to do the work if you want the results. A good day only happens one moment at a time. Attitude is always a choice. Choose wisely, or else strap yourself in for a bumpy ride on a rollercoaster of your own creation.
7:40am: Woke up after 9 hours of sleep. Felt fresh, ready for the day, and proclaimed to myself that it was gonna be a great one.
8:30am: Made some coffee. Fully caffeinated too, not the wimpy half-caf I have gotten used to. Loved every sip. The energy was building. Yep, it was gonna be a good day.
10:00am: Arrived at work. Surveyed the situation. Co-workers feeling sick. One never even showed up. Who cares! I can carry everyone. Maybe it was the caffeine talking, but I was convinced. It was gonna be a good day, damn it. Laughed and chatted with some regular customers. So far, so good.
12:30pm: Been on the register for hours. Short-handed staff. Non-stop line. Coffee buzz wearing off. Getting hungry. Maybe I just need to sit down for a few minutes. And oh by the way, is it me or does every customer seem really needy and whiny today? Suddenly everyone seems to be having a bad day, and wants to take it out on me. I must have forgotten to take off my punching bag costume from the other night.
12:50pm: Lunch time. Damn do I need a break. Head over for some Thai food. Got caught in a downpour. Lovely. Lunch was ok but once it was totally polished off, I felt like putting a fist through the styrofoam container it came in. Not sure why, just a little agitated I guess. Break time almost over. Took one look around me. No part of me wanted to go back to work. Throat starting to hurt again, like it was a few days ago. Just feeling tired. Not food-coma tired, but weary. Sooooo weary. Ate some chocolate. Didn't help.
2:00pm: Been making drinks for an hour or so. Can't quite remember why I thought today would be a good day. Feeling stuck, miserable and exhausted. Ask one of my female co-workers if this is what pms feels like. She confirms. Decide that I need a vacation. Trying to go there in my mind, right now, but somehow have to keep working. Homeless woman cuts the line and slams a big cup down at the counter, asking for ice. That gets my attention. I tell her she has to wait in line like everyone else. How dare she.
2:30pm: Regular customer asks how my day is going. I half-smile. Eh. She looks at me in horror, tells me that its the first time in all her years of coming into the store that she has ever heard me say anything like that. You're always smiling, she says. Not today honey. We both laugh. I feel my soul crumble a little bit. If only she knew how I really feel. Directly in my line of sight, homeless woman is stealing milk from the condiment bar and pouring it over the ice I gave her. I yell to her that the milk is for paying customers. She says she paid. I ask her what she bought. She replies: a free sample. Oh yeah. Duh. Why this infuriates me, I have no idea.
2:31pm: Contemplate crying, screaming, or running away. Or all of the above. I do none. Too busy.
3:30pm: Sit down to take a break, wondering what the hell has happened to my good day. So far gone now, I can't even begin to put the pieces back together. Frustration has built to a crescendo. Post "#@!#!!" as my Facebook status. Ugh. May as well spread the misery.
5:00pm: Co-worker gives me a thank-you card for being patient with her when she wasn't feeling well, and taking care of her during her shift. Aww. How sweet. Try to remember what I was so pissed off about all day, but it's starting to get hazy now. Maybe I'm losing it. Closing soon. Whew.
6:00pm: Doors locked. Delivery guy breaks my key off in the door. Disgust returns, but only briefly. He will lock up when he's done. No worries. One more thing. Must leave a thank-you card for opening supervisor. She did so much to help me before she left today. Have to let her know how grateful I am.
6:30pm: Rode home, reflecting on the day gone by. Felt like I was on a rollercoaster all day, and was unable to get off it. How the hell did I get on it in the first place? Good day gone bad, with no real reasons. Just forgot I had a choice. Forgot to ask for help. Forgot to smile. Forgot everything. Got caught, big-time. Oh well. Thankful to have another chance to remember.
Today's lesson: You have to do the work if you want the results. A good day only happens one moment at a time. Attitude is always a choice. Choose wisely, or else strap yourself in for a bumpy ride on a rollercoaster of your own creation.
Comments
P.S. Sorry, but I love your homeless woman. She has a great attitude!