And I loved the piece on waiters. As a former flight attendant, oh, man, people can be awful. But there were also soooo many kind passengers. One day as I was picking up mean trays after the service, I slipped and dropped six trays of orange chicken on this woman -- wearing a lovely white dress.
I felt horrible. She was covered in orange goo and her dress was ruined but she was soooooo kind about it.
That sounds like such a bad day at the office! I once spilt olive oil all over a woman's expensive silk skirt. She was also lovely about it and became a regular customer. There are definitely nice ones out there
My husband and I were just talking about this last week. I think there are waaaaay more nice ones than bad ones out there. But the bad ones occupy such a huge place in our emotional space.
I might have ten encounters with great people during a day -- and one total jerk. But when I get home it's the jerk I tell my husband all about. Maybe because our brains are hardwired to deal with (perceived) threats, so those get thrust to the forefront. But being aware of that tendency has helped me to focus more on the better folks.
Apparently it takes 5 good experiences to erase one bad one - but depending on your personality I think it can be so much more than that.
Loving your work by the way, I read your piece on rotisserie chicken and wholeheartedly agree! They're often very good. There's a place close to us here in Tirana that does them, I'll report back ;-)
And I loved the piece on waiters. As a former flight attendant, oh, man, people can be awful. But there were also soooo many kind passengers. One day as I was picking up mean trays after the service, I slipped and dropped six trays of orange chicken on this woman -- wearing a lovely white dress.
I felt horrible. She was covered in orange goo and her dress was ruined but she was soooooo kind about it.
I'd rather remember her than the douchebags...
That sounds like such a bad day at the office! I once spilt olive oil all over a woman's expensive silk skirt. She was also lovely about it and became a regular customer. There are definitely nice ones out there
My husband and I were just talking about this last week. I think there are waaaaay more nice ones than bad ones out there. But the bad ones occupy such a huge place in our emotional space.
I might have ten encounters with great people during a day -- and one total jerk. But when I get home it's the jerk I tell my husband all about. Maybe because our brains are hardwired to deal with (perceived) threats, so those get thrust to the forefront. But being aware of that tendency has helped me to focus more on the better folks.
Apparently it takes 5 good experiences to erase one bad one - but depending on your personality I think it can be so much more than that.
Loving your work by the way, I read your piece on rotisserie chicken and wholeheartedly agree! They're often very good. There's a place close to us here in Tirana that does them, I'll report back ;-)
That is fascinating! And I'm glad it tracks with my personal experience. Makes me feel a little bit less like I'm overly sensitive.
And thanks! Appreciate the kind words. And, man, I could go for a roast chicken right now!
We came to minimalism by accident when we became digital nomads. When you live out of a backpack you have no choice. And we love it.
One hundred percent. It's what keeps me on the straight and narrow now! After nearly 2.5 years I honestly thought I'd miss more than I do