When People Kept Cutting In
Problems can be a way to something better…
First, the excuses for taking so long since the last post: If you were wondering where I have been, let me tell you: This last month has been BUSY! A lot going on, at the office, at home, and then there’s the football world cup! ;) Although, I did share a couple of interesting posts on my FB page. So, you know where you need to go to get your fix, juuuust in case you craved it… :D
Coming to the topic of today’s post. Today, let me share an incident that occurred late last week, and how that reminded me, once again, that problems are not always bad — sometimes they are a way to something better!
So, the story goes like this:
This last Friday, on my way to the office, I had to make a stop for a couple of things. I could’ve stopped at any one of three places, all of which were on my way. But I decided that I’d stop at the first one itself, as that’s the usual place I go to, and if I didn’t get what I wanted there, I still had to option to check out the other two places.
At the place, I got one of the things I wanted, but the other thing was in a separate department, which was witnessing a bit of a rush at that moment. No issues, I thought. I can wait for a few minutes.
Now, you might think I could’ve left there immediately and get that remaining item from one of the other two places. And it’s true — I could’ve done that. But then I’d have had to park again at that second place, and there wasn’t any guarantee that what I wanted was even available there or not. And there could’ve been a rush there too, maybe even more than the current place.
And so…I waited.
Even though there wasn’t an official “queue” as such, one might expect that people would have the decency to respect basic social courtesies like waiting their turn, to let those who came in before them get first right to service.
Sadly, no. We don’t live in a perfect world. Perhaps that’s too much to ask for from many people. And while it may not be true everywhere and everytime, it certainly was this time, at this place. People kept cutting in, with total disregard to those already there.
I get the feeling that such people must think that they are “better” or “smarter” than those who wait patiently for their turn. They must be like, “If I can cut in, it means you don’t have an issue with someone doing that. In fact, you are an idiot for not trying it yourself. And you deserve to suffer for that.”
Now, many of you might say that since it bothered me, I should’ve said something. But I feel that a few words from a soft-spoken person like myself would hardly make an impact on someone who is seemingly from an educated background, yet, is blatantly being that rude.
But still, I was annoyed. So, I left that place to try my luck at the next one. On the way, I thought about the general tendency of people to act this way, and how selfish that was. And how totally confident and nonchalant people can be even when acting this way.
Now I’ve long known that, given the kind of person I am, I’ll have to make peace with a lot of things in this world — things I may not always be able to change. I can be the change I want to see. But even after that, if I don’t see that change taking place in others around me, there’s not much else I can’t do about it, except to keep being that change for as long as I can. And maybe, just maybe, someday it might echo somewhere. It’s a simple fact, but one I keep forgetting. Fortunately, it came to mind at that moment. And with it, came a sense of calmness.
I finally reached the other place. And this is where it gets fun!
I was expecting this place to be more crowded than the first one. But the place was empty! Totally…empty! I parked, got the thing I wanted, and was out of there in a matter of minutes! I guess someone was looking out for me… :)
Even if people had not cut in at the first place, it would have still taken me longer to get done there (because of the people already there before me), compared to the time it took me at this second place.
Was it a sign? Was I being rewarded for my “good” behavior? Who can say for sure? But yes, it seems more “likely” that it was just a coincidence and nothing else. It seems unlikely that I’ll be that lucky every time.
But, even considering this just a coincidence, I think there’s still an opportunity to learn something from this experience, and I want to make sure I milk that. And that is (drumroll please!)…:
Any problem we face is not just another challenge, but also an opportunity that might eventually lead to a better state than the prevailing one.
Most of our scientific and technological advancements can be traced back to some problem faced by someone, with their search for a solution leading to the breakthroughs, that ultimately have made the world what it is today.
Note that I’m not saying every problem I face will make my life better. Some problems are nothing but a huge pain in the ass. But the point is, when I first come face-to-face with a problem, I have no way of knowing how things will turn out eventually. So, instead of getting dejected at the outset itself (which is not beneficial in any way), I should approach it with equanimity as it could well be the start of something better.
Well, that’s it for this post then. I hope most, if not all, of your problems have a happy ending too!
And if you have a story you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate. It’s always a pleasure to find company on this journey.
