What’s wrong with me! I blasted my domestic help earlier in the day for coming in late for work. She must have had a late night enjoying her weekend like any of us. Or something more pressing must have kept her from reaching on time. I should have understood that. I should not have lambasted at her right at the doorstep. I could have waited for her to settle down, even offered her a glass of water before setting my drilling-motor-mouth on!
R is right. I should be more conscious about people’s feelings and self-respect. What right did I have to spoil her day? She had got in with a smile and a chirpy ‘Good Morning’ and now there she was going about her work with a sullen face.
Yes she should have informed me before hand if she was going to be late. I had my day planned based on her schedule, which meant that my plans were delayed too. But. But. That still didnt mean that I could be so inconsiderate.
R, while trying to put some sense into me, said something wonderful that he felt I should always keep in mind while dealing with people.
It’s just a twist of fate that she is in a situation where she has to work for me and my family. Tomorrow, there’s every chance that she chucks it all because she doesn’t need to for whatever reasons. Then, would she begrudge or respect me for my treatment of her? Her opinion of me would be a direct reflection of my treatment of her. If I want her to treat me with respect, I need to treat her the same.
In the same breath of the day, barely a few hours later I lost my cool with Namnam too. I was on my way to drop her in school for an activity. All charged up and excited about the workshop she was going to attend, she sat in the car reading a book, in between listening to music and happily humming along too. Now remember we were already late, so I was running around in a crazy mode trying to get her dropped in time, to make it worse we also had to stop by the grocery store to buy a pack of wet wipes which her teacher had instructed to bring in, because we realized in the nick of time that we had run out of them at home! And then just when we were walking to the store, Namnam realized that she had forgotten to take her water bottle. Its a small thing, I know. But it didnt stop me from shooting my mouth off again! That too all through our walk to the school gate. A perfectly excited girl till a few minutes ago was now walking in all glum. Could I not have kept my mouth shut and let her excitement stay on till the class was over? Was it really such a grave issue that I couldn’t wait for her to finish the class before blowing my top?
What a nincompoop I can be on some days, I tell ya!
Perceptions 