….Not Being A Total Jerk. I was in Chapter’s yesterday after work and I got myself a little life reminder. I went to the kiosk in order to look up a book that I *knew* was not in stock. I had already looked for it online and decided that I would order it at the kiosk in the store in order to avoid shipping charges. As I was halfway through typing in the name of the book, an older man (a nice grampa-type) who worked there came up and asked me if I needed any help. My initial reaction was (just about) to snark “No.” since I work with computers all day and I’m not dumb I can take care of this myself thank you very much. But…my mouth was being run by someone other than me (thank heavens) and I answered politely that I was just going to order a book that they didn’t have in stock. To make a long story short, the very nice grampa led me over to a book table and handed me the book that I *knew* wasn’t in the store because I had looked online and no I don’t need any help!
It’s all about perception, I think. Originally when he approached me, he was too close, too friendly and too helpful. Upon further interaction, he had a very nice smile, he obviously had a love of books that you could see in his eyes and he really just wanted to give me a hand.
….Getting Out Of Your Head. When I was relaying the story above to Ray, he said that the grampa probably just wanted to talk to a nice looking girl standing alone. You know what? He could be absolutely right. But in my head, at the end of a long day, I am not a nice looking girl. In my head I’m Fatty. Miserable and caustic and unkempt. The perception of myself that goes on in my head is a LOT different than what people see when they look at me in real life. That mis-perception though sometimes guides my action and I become the miserable and caustic person that I see in my head. Not good.
….Racing In The Rain. And here’s the book. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book. Garth Stein’s The Art Of Racing In The Rain. It’s written my his dog, Enzo and it’s probably the most real book I’ve read in a very long time. I’m halfway through it (bought last night) and I will be finished it tonight. Absolute MUST READ!
And as far as the Scoreboard goes, for not being a complete jerk in public, for eating dinner only until I was full and for laughing out loud at warm dog breath tickling the bottom of my toes, Fitty gets a point, Fatty gets NOTHING!
Fitty vs Fatty 