Compliments v. Complaints

I was ready to complain to my CVS pharmacy, its company, and on social media. For six days, I tried getting an extremely important medication. On the sixth day, I would be out of my med, and therefore I was determined to switch my pharmacy and register my complaint with all of CVS.

My medicine treated my epileptic seizures, and there is one thing I fear more than anything are my seizures.  I cannot tell anyone what the terror I’ve felt.

One time, I was walking along a busy street, blacked out, collapsed for some unknown period of time, and when I regained consciousness I was strapped down to a gurney. I “came to” looking up at two paramedics and mumbled, “What’s going on?”  I was in an ambulance.

Yes, I made plans to go to whatever extreme was needed to get my meds.  It was obvious to me that my store was out of stock for my med. All I wanted was to find out if I could get my meds at the only other CVS in my city

First, I called the store and was put on hold for a half-hour. I could overhear that the store was busy. (I honestly sat on hold for 30 minutes, just so I could have something else to scream about.)  Then I tried to write an email to the company itself.  I don’t know what I did to prevent my bitchfest from going through.  My anger was on a countdown to blasting off. I know I would overreact and then the depression would start because I was an a-hole.

Regardless, I next called the 800 number to complain up a storm.

This is where the happy ending comes around.  The operator sounded very understanding and helpful. Before I even said anything about getting my med from the other store, she suggested it! She suggested what I wanted! 

I thanked this woman repeatedly and I suspect she doesn’t even know how important that it is for me. At the end of the story, I got my meds in 30 minutes. The same amount of time I planned on ranting about.

Believe me, I feel much happier writing a compliment instead of broadcasting a complaint. In negative times, giving compliments for simply doing a good job, can make everyone feel better.  Now when I get depressed, angry, or lonesome, I’ll try to compliment someone.

Lusty saved my sanity.

Believe it or not, I have a friend whose mother named her”Lusty”. Well one day she came to my rescue when I was at work.

My brain was just so full of rage that I was about to explode. I knew what I needed to do. I had to release all of my frustrations from my brain by way of my mouth to someone who would just listen to me.

Consequently, all Lusty did was listen to me blast my irritants & annoyances away.

If she said anything at all, it was simply something supportive.

I stepped outside after my babbling for a cigarette. In a matter of minutes, I realized that I was making too much of an issue out of something. Once returning, I apologized for being slightly if not extremely overwhelming, but thanked her for being there to listen to me.

The point of this story is simple. Just providing an ear to listen can prove to be a big help to someone.

God saved me from being a jerk

I honestly prayed on my break at work just not to tell a co-worker what I thought of her.

A co-worker essentially stepped on my toes, and I wanted to amputate her foot in return.  In the end, I told myself to grow and shut up.

This all happened at the Salvation Army Thrift Store, and I don’t even remember what had me so upset.  All I recall asking myself was, “And what good would that do?”

I have a litany of prayers I say throughout the day until I finish them.  Some days I’m done before 8 a.m. and other days I’m done after 8 p.m. The last one I recite to myself is The Peace Prayer of St Francis of Assis.  On this particular day, I concentrated extra hard on the ‘Peace Prayer’ .

I concentrated on how I would sow love where there is hatred and how I would seek to understand those who I did not.

I prayed harder than normal to be an instrument of peace when my mind was trying to manage my anger.  For example, I specifically asked myself how I would try to understand those they I didn’t.  However, I was thinking of white supremacist militia groups.  When the line, “where there is hatred, let me sow love”, crossed my mind all I asked was, “How?”  I never considered being upset with my coworker.

This just demonstrated my bipolar nature and how I instinctively wanted to seek blood.

In 25,000 words or less: there was a snafu at our only register. My coworker made some false assumptions and freaked.  It was easily solved, but I had to tell her three times that there was no problem.  At the end of the day, SHE THANKED ME!

Trusting God, will save me from causing problems at the workplace.

My lofty dreams, goals, and aspirations my need to be addressed one day. However, I learned that once I ask for help I may be surprised in the way it’s answered.

Aiming President Jimmy Carter’s Quote On 2020

In my neighborhood, only MY neighborhood, if you say, “Everyone should wear a mask because of COVID wherever they go,” someone is apt to shoot you for being a Democrate.

There are those out in the world who are looking for a reason to complain and be noticed.  Social media vehicles provide an easy means.  They seem to enjoy causing themselves anger and annoyance.

Personally I find it comical when I make an innocent, moral, simple comment on Twitter, etc., and then receive a scathing, lengthy,  hateful response.

My response to a screen-filled, nasty  return is normally, “Thank you for your response.  You made some good points.  I’ll look into your arguments.” 

Then I think to myself, ‘Ha, ha, not gonna fall for yer narcissistic trap.  No argument but no agreement.’

Arguing with Einstein

Albert Einstein’s quote

I think of the future when the situation makes me.  (Einstein probably did, also.)  I normally live day to day but this is somewhat of a positive outlook.  Some days, I’m forced to live moment to moment.

When I get angry at work, I ask myself, “Ted, are you going to care about this an hour from now?  Is this worth causing a scene, acting up, stressing out, and at the end of the day being depressed for behaving badly?

Normally, I breath deeply followed by a prayer, asking for help.  This almost always has worked for me.  It keeps me calm.

This has worked for me, and I’ve become much calmer.  Hopefully, you will find what works for you.