Megan and I learnt three valuable life lessons today, on the way home from school.
Imagine the scene...
...Cars parked all down one side of the road - mums and dads picking up kids from school.
...Cars trying to get up and down the road in both directions, going to and from town.
...General bedlam, as is normal for this 15 minute section of the day, every school day.
...One man decides that he is not going to pull in to the kerb to let oncoming traffic, passing the parked cars, pass. He calmly takes out his paper and starts to read it.
This happened just as I was getting out of my car (one of the many parked along the road) to go and collect Meg.
About 10 minutes later, when we got back to the car, he was still there, well through his paper at this stage!! The traffic was backed up in both directions.
The lady in the car behind him got out of her car and persuaded him, much like a mother trying to persuade her child to eat a piece of broccoli, or go to bed early, that it was in his own interests to pull in, just enough to let the oncoming cars past.
Finally, thanks to her assertive, but gentle tone, he did, with a lot of grumbling, pull in, and we were all able to get home!
Lessons learnt - 1. Be patient. Everyone is doing the best they can.
2. Someone always has to give a little. It may as well be you.
3. Being assertive, but gentle, gets better results than shouting and raging.
(I am particularly pleased that Megan came up with that third lesson!!)
So, today I am grateful that even though that poor man had come to the end of his patience with the busy road, and all the parked cars, some good things came of it, certainly for us!
Life is full of lessons. All we need to do is recognise them, and learn from them!!! (And, of course, the most difficult part, act on them!!!)
Gratefully yours.
xx
