I'll admit it. I can be oversensitive to perceived slights at times. In general, I'm wound kind of tightly.
In the course of running the store, I can still be sensitive to things, but those things typically do not bug me as much as they once did. Call it maturity... call it desensitizing... call it whatever. In general, I am not quite as prickly as I was in my youth.
There are some individuals who continuously rub me the wrong way, and after some time away, one of them reentered my life. It has been maybe four encounters since their return, and already I have wanted to choke the living s**t out of them on at least two occasions. There are extenuating circumstances behind my behaviour, but for the sake of mutual friends, I've tried to keep it civil.
For some time, I have tried to figure out what has caused my dislike of this person. They have never truly done me any harm personally that I am aware of. There has been an air of condescension and dismissal on their part during various discussions, but no real harm, thus no foul. I can be a stubborn, pig-headed b*****d at times, so it karmically evens out.
As things are going currently, I see this playing out in one of two ways...
One... I suck it up and learn to live with it as ninety percent of the behavior happens in the store in front of others... ...or... Two... I erupt with a mega crap-ton of emotional bile and risk alienating some very good (mutual) friends (and perhaps a random customer or twelve), but it would be done and things could begin to heal instead of festering within me like they are currently...
-- GopherDave
Feeling your pain. Sometimes there is no easy path to follow. Whichever way you choose, you have my support.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that sentiment, sir...
ReplyDeleteMore than you know...
Thank you.
Speaking from experience on dealing with a particular person coming into my old store, who told me on more than one occasion he could "run" my store better and that if he left, "he would take all the magic players with him", well I finally had it and just told him off in front of everyone. you know what? He took a total of 3 people with him, (people I didn't like anyway, who were a bad influence on the younger kids there) and within a few more months we got 8 NEW players, because this guy annoyed them so much they never showed up. So i lost a HUGE money dropper, and got 8 more small to medium spenders who were much nicer. Just take him to the side, ban him, and when he starts yelling, the others will see who is the better man. You.
ReplyDelete