I miss hearing from you.

What's up with us? Anything?

Mimi, I have been lurking on your thread!

You're getting such getting such great input on personal recovery, I've been speechless! Absolutely nothing to add!

However since you asked, I'll come back and tell a very funny story from last night! It's OT, but in a sense it does have to do with personal power...

Mimi,

I took my boys to the Harry Potter Party. My youngest son was in costume...My oldest son wasn't - being cool is starting to take on even more importance than a costume opportunity..........very sad.

It was a mob scene as you can imagine. We got there early for the festivities about 8:30 pm. The party started at 9pm and if you had already purchased your book, you had a pre-paid voucher so you could pick up your copy at 12:01 AM.

So after the contest etc, I found my line - there were several, but I was in the line of 750 & up.

They had grey tape on the floor so that people knew where to stand in line.

A Pet Peeve of mine has alwaaaaaaaaaaays been people who cut in line. Whether in a car, standing etc...drives me NUTS!

I'm guessing I was about #50 in line, and people would wander by looking for the end - and my line mates and I always gave them directions to the end of the line!

I think you can see where I'm headed here...

There were some cute high school girls in front of me. Suddenly I saw 3, probably high school age boys standing in front of me.

It WAS a bit confusing because it was crowded, and people were squeezing past the people in the voucher line I was in, to go to one of the kids stations. So, I watched to see if they were moving through.

They were there for awhile....so finally I asked them..."what are you guys doing?"

They told me they were in the voucher line...so I said - well you're not at the end of the line; I pointed the direction like I had so many others.

They gave me attitude somewhat, but mostly dismissed me completely. Now I'm surprised!

So I say to them...."you can go to the end of the line like everybody else". One kid looked at me and got really uncomfortable and left. The other two stayed. The 3rd came back to see what his buddies were going to do. A 2nd one left. Leaving the "tough silent guy" by himself. He was the one that didn't ever acknowledge that I spoke.

The high school girls in front of me were encouraging me, so after a few minutes the other 2 buddies came back. One said he was going home for good. The other one hung with the tough silent guy.

I waited a few minutes as I considered my options....I'm getting really steamed. In the past I would have just stood there in this type of situation hopping mad....and I thought of all the people behind me, especially some seniors, and thought, “You know..........this isn't right.”

So, I say to the 2 remaining boys......"I'm going to give you a chance to leave this line quietly right now, or I'm going to have to embarrass you! Tough guy ignores me still. 2nd guy looks at me and says "What are you going to do....yell something out?"

I said, "Well as a matter of fact I am"! He quickly turned away. So I turn to the crowd behind me - about 100 in my line of sight and say loudly...."Sorry - these 2 boys cut in line. I've tried to tell them to go to the end of the line, I gave them a chance to go quietly - but they won't go!"

Well, I certainly had everybody's attention….(My boys were elsewhere in the store, they would have FAINTED in embarrassment!!!)

So, I continued to tell the crowd that I had done the best I could do - but I couldn't make them leave.

Silence from the crowd.

I thought at least, I won't feel as guilty, if the crowd chooses not to support me. I was hoping that the crowd pressure would cause them to slink out of the line....but no tough guy is hanging tight!

Finally, people in line behind me start muttering to themselves and asking me questions, and I happily pointed the boys out to them...but no one in line did anything - until this woman GOD bless her!!! Came forward and asked them to leave too; they ignored her as well. She then said to me that she would go and get a store employee!! I thanked her.

The boys heard her, but they were hanging tough still. I saw her go to the front of the line and tell this sort of tough looking guy behind the counter. She came back shrugged, and said she told them but wasn't sure what he would do.

I told her at least we did our best! Thinking that would be the end.

Just as I was giving up hope and it's under 10 minutes to the magic hour...the store guy comes up and says which guys????

I pointed out the 2 and whew....he got in their faces, asked them if they cut in line...tough guy said nothing - his friend said in a whiney voice Noooooooooo.

I said "Yes, they did". And had the girl in front of me verify that she knew I was in line behind her!

With that, the employee said, "Get to the back of the line, or leave the store NOW!!"

Whooooooooooooo, Hooooooooooooooo!!

Felt soooooooo good, that is, until a man came up from behind to tell me how stupid he thought I was.

He said I can't do this type of thing in this day and age...he said it was too dangerous!

I said, “REALLY?"

Now I'm a little worried....wondering if they were going to wait for me outside! I thought, Oh, brother - do I have someone walk me out the door? It is an amazing mob scene - so I decide to just grab the boys and take my chances. I sat down with them first and gave them a much quicker version of the story than I'm telling you!

I wanted them to be prepared, in case we had trouble, and I handed my younger son’s Harry Potter Wand (he’s 10) to my older son (he’s 12) - in case we needed a weapon. LOLOLOL!!

So we headed for the door, the boys looking worried. We almost made it, when the 2nd boy – (not the tough guy) jumped in front of me waving a book saying something immature like "We got ours, glad you got yours!"

What an idiot! I just rolled my eyes at him and kept pushing forward. I could play silent just like his tough guy friend (he was the one I was really worried about).

And with that we went outside, got in the car, and came home with no further problems!!!

So that was my little adventure.

I was thinking as I was waking this morning that the term my 2nd grade
teacher used was "privileged character". They had this arrogance – an entitlement, and they did it because they thought they could get away with it, right in front of all these people.

They were tall boys, hard to hide at their height. I might have even let them cut - if they'd been cute about it! Because I do like the age group they are in and the girls in front of me were cute.......but that wasn't their attitude.

I'm going to write a note to the store.. I want to complement the employee who took them out of line. It's not a small store, but it's not big like Barnes & Noble either -it's an independent bookseller.

Thanks for your reply!

I have not had the time to really DIGEST your story. I can't wait, though.

I will get back to you ASAP. As you well know, weekends are busy. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

How old are your boys? Mine are really men. I so well remember those days with them......

Time Flies! HAVE FUN......

lol CSue ~ love the story <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Mind if I butt in?

The sense of entitlement in young people today is disturbing...but even more so are the adults who feed it, and model it for them.

I flew to Europe last Sunday on a business trip. While I was standing in line at Newark Liberty to go through security for the flight, I had several people approach me and ask if they could cut in front of me because they were late for their flights.

NO problem. I had plenty of time and didn't mind since they asked.

When I got the security gate, of course, I was struggling like everyone else to take off my shoes, and get my laptop out of my bag, and make sure I'd pass through the scanners without incident. An older woman - I won't try to guess her age but she was much much older than I am - tried to shove past me, nearly bowling me over. All I did was look up at her, startled at the rudeness - especially as everyone else had been so patient and polite. And she leaned over, sneering at me...and said "You snooze, you lose honey!" <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

I quickly stood up, put my things on the belt ahead of her, and then leaned back and said very quietly, "Honey, Karma will come back to bite you on the a$$ every time". Ok, not my best moment, but oh well!

The sad thing was that she had 2 young teenage girls with her. What kind of role modeling was she providing for these children!?!

I'm so glad you stood up to those boys. Social consequences are a powerful lesson - as I had one child therapist assure me several years ago when I worried my children would continue to publically erupt in hilarity at a burp or a fart!

I hope that one day those boys (when older and wiser!) appreciate your willingness to stand up for civility and integrity.

Mimi, they're 10 & 12 - the perfect age for Harry Potter.

We had a great time in spite of the high school boys.

Bramble - Please do join in!!!

Sheesh, I can't believe what that woman in your security line did. I'm like you - if it's not a big deal and people are polite I don't mind letting them go ahead.

You're right about the Karma....I would hate to have bad TRAVEL Karma!!! Oh my, the possibilities...

But really what she did with the rude shove in unbelieveable. You role modeled right back to her teenagers exatcly what can happen for that level of rudeness!

And yes, with my 2 - the burps, the farts and the word butt in every sentence....I have a few more years of that I suspect!!

The point I made to the store employee who chased those guys out of line was that if my boys EVER did anything like that, I would like someone to stand up to their bad behavior as well.

Just wish the one man wouldn't have felt it was such a mistake to take a stand - I can't believe he would think things are so bad that we all had no choice but allow them to go unchallenged. Oh well!

No I can't even imagine. Traveling is bad enough even for those of us who could only possibly have good karma. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

My little brother travels weekly, and oh lordy the stories he tells. Wish I could get him on here somehow, he'd have us all in stitches all night long. I'm sure parts are of his hilarious travel stories are embellished <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> but if it makes me laugh, I can forgive a little embellishment.

BR, I always think that older people are somehow supposed to be above lowly behaviour, and you know what? Lots of them aren't. Isn't it amazing that one could live so many years and still not have a clue? It's disgusting really.

Hi CSUE

I enjoyed your story, kudos on that very non-CA'er approach.

I still remember the instance years ago when we were at the "Harvest Festival" held at my boys school. It was kinda like a family day where the grounds were transformed with things like ring toss, pony rides, etc.

There was a Mom there with her son (he was about 10 at the time) who apprarently felt that lines were for the "little people", not her (her H is a local surgeon). I made it a point to kind of watch her. She would take little Tommy by the hand and just walk right to the head of every line not even acknowleding the kids standing there. I had never seen anything like it.

CSUE - I wish you had been there, I just watched.

Georgia

CSUE:

What a story!

It does speak a lot about the issue of PERSONAL POWER among other things....such as today's generation.....

On the PERSONAL POWER...FIGHT OR FLIGHT issue... this really hit home for me...

You said:



The thing is you THOUGHT before you acted...

Back in the day, if that was me, I would have gotten STEAMED and then blasted those guys.. That's been my typical pattern. Instead, after thinking, you decided on a GREAT SOLUTION. That's the pattern I am learning.

I have gotten the wrong message, that I am now relearning. I have seen my BLASTING as POWER. The BLASTING has not worked. Typically there are negative reactions to it. So I've made the decision that POWER is not a GOOD thing.

I've got to learn to THINK before responding.

Of course, I also have tended to FLEE...But in a situation such as yours the FIGHT reaction most probably would have occurred..my BOYS would have been embarassed...

One time, when my boys were young, one even said to me, "Mommy don't get MAD and LOSE another store". This is in response to my typical line of: "I'll never shop here again". That's an example of FIGHTING and FLEEING at the same time... <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I believe if America is to remain great, all of us must stand up for what is right, and not let people get away with breaking societies rules.

I think someone has called this country "The land of the free, and the home of the brave."

When we loose our bravery, we also loose our freedom. I believer that as the founding fathers took personal risk to secure our freedom, we must be willing to risk it our selves to maintain it.

I applaud CSue for standing up for her, and others rights while waiting in line.

I have done it myself, and it was worth it.

SS

CSue, BR:

There's a story along those lines I remember reading about (on the internet, perhaps?). A flight attendant dealing with an angry, impatient customer at the gate.

Customer buts ahead of everybody in line, insisting he be given a boarding pass.

Attendant: Sir, you'll have 2 wait in line.

Customer: No. Do you have any idea who I am? (apparently, some self-important goof - like a CEO or something).

Attendant, grabbing her microphone and pressing the key: May I please have your attention at gate #? I have a passenger here who does not know who he is. If there is anybody here that can identify him, could they please come up to the counter?

-ol' 2long

2long,
Humor works best, I usually go for threats.

How are you doing this week, any changes? Any progress on the meeting of the minds?

SS

I didn't even read your story first time around Csue, only BR's. Just read it right now, and I can't believe you did that. If I tried something like that I would either end up with a panic attack, or start shoving. LOL

You have guts girl!

SS:

Doing pretty well. We're busy with the kitchen and stuff these days, but we're having more fun 2gether than we have in a long while.

No real "meeting of the minds" yet, and I need 2 make certain it isn't my CA trying 2 make a comeback. I don't think it is, though.

Yes2rday, we were talking about our "stuff" - specifically property. She described her OOSP as "ours" for the first time I think I've ever heard that.

-ol' 2long