Driving home from work one Wednesday night, I craved a burrito. So, I stopped by a revamped fast-food restaurant. I had driven by this place several times, but never stopped in. A woman at the counter took my order. I looked past her and noticed the cook staring in our direction. The woman handed him the order. The cook mumbled something unpleasant, I could tell. The woman shrugged her shoulders, rolled her eyes and continued to collect my payment.
I could not see what was happening behind the cooking counter. The cook appeared to be preparing the food, but his shoulders barely moved. Within minutes he flopped my order onto the counter. The brute continued an unflappable, indignant stare, filled with disdain, in my direction. I reacted to his grumpiness with my own furrowed brows and body language, which asked, “What the heck is wrong with you?”
Bruno Mars’ song ‘24K Magic’ may have a simple solution to the many angry burrito moments inside of us all. The lines are simple, “Why you mad? Fix ya face.”
We’ve all hit moments that angered us. But staying angry and spreading agitation and frustration can be a choice. We can choose not to let the anger eclipse the rest of our day. Why let a dark cloud tarp the room?
I’m finding that I can react to something, and allow my emotions to hover around the flashpoint. But in most cases, I can decidedly file it away…for later lamentation or reflection. At least, I work on this routinely. Why not use your fuel for good things and productivity? After all, the cost of fuel is high these days. Why ruin your whole day, or another person’s day?
Flip a burrito, flip a finger, or flip your face into a smile.
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