Your Ideal Customer

Last week I was going to meet a friend for lunch. At the light, I begin to enter the turn lane only to realize I’m one light too soon. Fortunately the light is red, so I correct my mistake and go back into the lane I’d just left. This action is met with loud protest from the car behind me. Not a little beep of the horn to say “you’re annoying”. Oh no, this is the loud, long, laying on the horn to say “YOU STUPID IDIOT!!!!! I am PISSED!! Hear my HOOORRRRNNNNNN!!!!!”.

I’m rather puzzled. I mean, he couldn’t possibly be THAT upset by what I’d just done. We were stopped at a light. I had made a mistake. Surely he could cut me a little slack. And yet he was that upset. I chuckle a bit at the absurdity of his response. Then I begin to wonder just how bad of a day he’s having if my error was enough to send him over the edge.

The light turns green, and I pull up to the next light and into the turn lane. This light is also red. Which gives the upset driver behind me the opportunity to tell me how he really feels. Needless to say, he’s not happy. In fact he wonders just who in the bleepity bleep bleep bleep I am to cut him off like that. What the bleepity bleep bleep did I think I was doing. I roll down my window and my heart is pounding. Time has slowed down. I can feel myself faced with the choice of being angry or being compassionate.

Somehow the words that come out of my mouth are “I really hope you have a better day, sir”. He barely pauses in his tirade. When he takes his next breath, I repeat “I really hope you have a better day.” I say it calmly and sincerely, and I know this is the end of the conversation. I roll up my window and proceed on my way.

In that moment, I was the best I can be. It felt like a moment of grace. Somehow it all came together and I was able to meet him from a place of compassion. It was so cool.

And before I come across as “holier than thou”, there have definitely been times in the past where you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between me and that driver. Hopefully I’m turning over a new leaf.