Yesterday I was on a tight schedule to pick up Kaitlin from track practice, drop her off, pick up Kailey and Kaleb to take them to swimming. I was a wee bit frustrated when Kaitlin wasn't ready to go when I told her we needed to go.
As we were driving out of the Lakes High School parking lot a guy was riding his bicycle right down the middle of the road. There wasn't enough room to pass to the right or to the left since he was literally right down the middle of the road.
When he finally moved over to one side I passed him. But as I was passing him, he yelled something at me.
On any other day I would have just kept driving. But not yesterday. I was already frustrated and when he yelled I lost it.
I slowed down, rolled down my window and screamed at him to get out of the middle of the road.
And then he did it. He flipped me the bird.
I really lost it then.
I stopped the car, jumped out, screaming at him and had every intention to deck him.
By this time, Kaitlin was a wee bit freaked out and she yelled, "Don't daddy!"
Not one of my best moments.
Imagine if I had decked him.
How stupid. In a moment of anger and frustration, I would have done something really stupid...something that would have impacted my ministry, landed me in jail. Just stupid all around.
As I've been reflecting on this, I've been trying to process why I lost it for that moment. I've been wondering how I could have done things differently, how I could have avoided that entire situation.
- Take a deep breath. I needed to chill. I was running late. It already was what it was.
- I compounded that by adding my frustration. And then the bike guy came.
- I should have taken another deep breath. Just let him do his thing. I did not need to press him.
- I should have kept driving. I should not have allowed a jerk to impact my life. I let him tick me off and in return I acted like quite the jerk myself.
- Biggest lesson - don't let a jerk make you a jerk.
Thank God I didn't do anything stupid. I've since apologized to Kaitlin for losing it in front of her.
Not one of my most proud daddy moments.
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