attitude adjustment.

Last night I realized I hit some kind of low when, at the thought of working in a cold office another day, I started to cry. Something as stupid as that should not make me cry. So today, as I sat in my chilly little room (although it was 61 degrees this morning and is now up to 64!!) I decided I need to change my attitude and be more positive. And then I decided I also need to be more nice. If you are reading this then you most likely know me. And you know that I am mean and judgmental and even worse, I think it's funny. And worse than that, I get a kick out of others' meanness. Well, there is a line to cross to get to not-funny, but it's pretty far out there. It's pretty sad when I can think of something mean to say in 1.76 seconds, but it can take me all day to come up with something nice to say.

Oh shit. Maybe social work isn't for me.

With my new attitude on my mind I went to Panera to get some lunch. One of the women taking orders was an older (maybe late 50s??) than me woman who wore about 15 of those rubber bracelets on one arm. You know what I'm talking about - those crazy bracelets that Lance Armstrong started selling and now everybody with a cause is trying to raise money by selling them. Maybe it's just an Ann Arbor thing. Anyway, I witnessed 2 very interesting conversations this woman had with 2 different customers.

Conversation 1:
Customer: I have a bracelet that you don't have!
Bracelet Lady: Let me see!
C: Looky! (she really said this)
BL: Where did you get that? How much did it cost?
C: She said something I couldn't hear...and then said $5.
BL: Bring me one next time you come in! I'll pay you for it!!
Then they said a bunch of other stuff and got the other employee taking orders in on the conversation. I was a little annoyed because I was hungry and neither employee was taking orders because they were discussing stupid bracelets. But, because of my new outlook on life, I just smiled, tried to purge my mind of mean thoughts, and waited my turn.

While I was waiting for my food to be ready I heard conversation #2 that Bracelet Lady had with a man and woman. I didn't hear what led up to this conversation.
Bracelet Lady: Can you believe they won't even give her communion because it is considered food?
Man Customer: I know. I can't believe that in this country they are letting someone starve to death.
BL: What's next? Are they going to remove the Pope's feeding tube?
Woman Customer: Why isn't this against the law?
BL: Well now they are looking into the 14th amendment. I think it's the 14th amendment. What is the 14th amendment? And did you hear they cut off support to a six month old baby?
MC: I just don't get how starving someone to death is humane.

Then my food came. WOW. After a mere 13 minutes and 24 seconds I came up with something nice to say about the bracelet lady. Here it is...she was really good at taking orders when she finally got around to it.

I know, I still have work to do.

And I'm still trying to think of something nice to say about the customers.