I lost my temper yesterday. Despite all my efforts to “become a better person” over the last many years. I made a mistake. I was justified or so I thought. The person I spoke to rudely had her dog in the grocery cart. She was the second person I saw while I was in the store who was doing this. We are in California, after all. I blurted out, “Even if that is a service dog it has no place in a grocery cart!” She and her friend just looked at me blankly and said, “You have a nice day…”.

I felt terrible afterwards. A message that might have been communicated to the manager escalated into a mini-tirade. Really, who am I to judge? Where do I get off as an enforcer of the rules? How can I call myself a person who helps others if I cannot be civil in my communication?

When something like this happens I attempt to see what my responsibility is in the situation. What it comes down to is control, isn’t it really? We all want the world to be like us, to live by the same rules and conventions. Yet, if this were to happen we would all be bored and boring. The differences in people, cultures and countries are what makes us want to engage with the world.

So this is my lesson. Handle it differently next time. I have certain assets and liabilities. I speak out for those who can’t speak out for themselves. This is good. But I also take on causes that are really none of my business. Like dogs in grocery carts………