This post is only tangentially related to babies and parenting, but I'll attempt to connect the dots, anyway...
So, I'm half German. I'm also half Chinese (read Tiger Mom). These two cultural influences combine to result in an irrepressible characteristic of pointing out to others the right and better way. I am still trying to make up to friends for a lifetime of obnoxiously giving unwarranted advice on how they could really improve their lives...
I have been working lately on suppressing this natural urge, with varied success. One such opportunity recently emerged when someone in my parking garage started parking in a highly coveted parking area in our garage. Every day, this driver of an enormous truck, something like an F99950 would park so that she (I saw who the culprit was one day, fortunately for her I was tied up and didn't have the opportunity to be sassy to her face) would not only occupy her allotted space, but so that she would block another space. ARGH! Seriously?! I won't even get on my soap box about driving such a vehicle, but if you're going to drive it, either learn to park in ONE space or go park on a higher level where there are spaces a-plenty. Deep breath. For days, I did nothing. Even when I was too late for one of the coveted spaces and forced to re-enter the garage and circle higher and higher for another space. I resisted the urge to leave a note on her windshield advising her of the right and better way. The courteous and non-selfish way. People, you do realize that when you drive to the front of the line and cut in or park in 2 spaces, etc. that you're being selfish, right?
And then, a most wonderful thing happened. I arrived one morning to discover that she parked in between the lines in a space without blocking a second space!! Alleluia! I thought to myself, an opportunity for positive reinforcement. So, I left her a note that said, "Thank you for only taking up one space!" I am happy to report that since then, she has always parked in one space. Now, someone else may have advised her of the right and better way, or she might have taken a driving/parking course. But, maybe there's also a lesson here for this mother-to-be about positive reinforcement.
1 comment:
At least she wasn't one of those utter arses who think their car is SOOO special that they need to park diagonally to ensure that no one parks next to them. I've always thought it would be great to get a few friends and box someone like that entirely in, park inches from their car. Unless they are reasonable and actually park at the back of an uncrowded lot...that's the only time it's acceptable.
tl;dr My biggest peeve is people who believe their interests are more important than the rest of the world's.
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