Slowly pulling into my town home complex, I carefully watched for all the little kids playing out front. During the summer they seem to pop out suddenly from behind a parked car with laser swords, baseball bats and gloves, bikes or squirt guns...chasing each other.
As I rounded the corner there was a silver car parked directly in front of my driveway on the wrong side of the rode. The heavy set lady, with her severe blonde bob haircut and floral dress had stopped at the mailbox. I've seen her quite frequently, but she usually is parked in front of the mailbox. She NEVER cracks a smile, just seems to glare at me. I know I should at least make an attempt to say, "Hi," or wave, but the dirty looks she gives me makes me want to smack her (I kid, I kid!) It does make me a little angry, "What's her problem?"
Now, I patiently pull my car to the far right waiting to make a left into my driveway once she moves. She turns her head towards me, squints her eyes, stares at me (I know that she knows I'm waiting for her to move), and continues to stay at the mailbox shuffling through her mail.
I'm so tempted to honk and say something...but I patiently wait. Finally she SLOWLY walks over to her car...looks directly at me and scouls. Nothing...not a "Sorry," not a wave signaling, "Oops, I'm moving...NOTHING but a crusty look! I'm now ready to roll down my window, but I don't (YES, progress with my temper!) Maybe I should say, progress with my "outward" temper, but inside I was seething. It's a hard thing for someone like me, a.k.a. "The Mouth" to keep it shut.
Now she finally gets into her car, wait...wait...wait, yep she proceeds to sit there sifting through her mail. Here's my self conversation, "Now it's on! No, control yourself...don't let her get you worked up and start a huge yelling match...okay Lisa be the bigger person."
I pull up and slightly turn the front of my car towards my driveway, causing her to look up again. I just point at my driveway...not smiling, but not yelling at her either (PROGRESS). She gives me another disgusted look and points forward, as if to say, "Don't you dare try and squeeze your car in front of me because I'm going straight!" Finally she moves!
Wow...that was a HUGE accomplishment for me! I'm proud of myself...BUT my "normal" confrontational temper still has me a little bottled up. I had so many things ready to come gushing out..."the mouth" usually has a mind of it's own and after I'm done giving someone a thrashing I think, "Oh no...that was REALLY mean, I took it too far again!" So I can truly say P R O G R E S S...YAY!
