April
3
I went to get my haircut yesterday. As I arrived at the salon I noticed a gentleman was paying for his haircut and was about to leave. I opened the door to allow him to leave and for me to walk in. He just stood there and stared at me. He then walked slowly through the door as if he was a fashion model on the catwalk and never said a thank you or nodded as if I didn’t exist. Just in those few minutes I thought this guy is so stuck on himself.
I checked in at the front desk and Lashon came to bring me to her chair. As I sat down, she told me that the guy before me sat down, looked at her and said, “I am very particular about your MY hair!” I asked if it happened to be a guy in the suit who just left. She said yes!
She told me later how he kept bragging about all his houses and trips he takes. That he was wearing nice dress shirts with his initials on the sleeve. She asked me if I ever knew anyone with that. I said yes and they were a jerk too.
Lashon was obviously flustered by this guy and how he treated her. I am sure she was not going into all the details with me about her interactions with him.
When we were done, she walked me up front and the girl at the front desk mentioned that the guy before me was a rude to her. He throw Lashon’s tip at her and told her to put it in the envelope for him. Of course the envelopes are sitting right on the desk. She took the tip and placed it in the envelope and wrote to Lashon from jerk face.
As I was walking to my car, I started thinking about how just the few minutes we all spent with that guy made us dislike him. I wonder if he even knows how he comes off. I assume he acts this way because he thinks it impresses people or maybe it just impresses himself but either way he is not winning over friends.
When I turned the corner to the parking garage, I noticed a car parked on the side of the road with a big yellow bumper sticker on it. It made me laugh and I thought it said exactly what this guy needed to hear:
“Jesus loves you but everyone else thinks you are an asshole.”
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JM
on 03 Apr 2008 at 1:47 pm #
People that act like that are usually insecure. It is sad that he feels like he has to be that way. He probably lives in a crack house and drives a 1976 pinto with cigarette burns in the seats. The only way he can feel good about himself is making people think he is worth something, LOL. It is fun to imagine. Maybe they should put a sign on the door that they reserve the right to refuse anyone service. Anyway, another great life lesson on how we present ourselves. Have a great day!
Michael
on 03 Apr 2008 at 3:09 pm #
I think it is hard when people present themselves badly because you never really get to know the real them. I always hope the real them is a better person or at least wants to be. Thanks for your comment!
Chris
on 05 Apr 2008 at 7:54 am #
You know, all too often, we have interactions in our lives with people just like this. Unfortunately, they do not realize the impact that have on those around them. Like you said, in a matter of a few minutes, this guy affected each of you negatively and left a lasting negative impression on you all. I can’t make judgements on this person, because I don’t know him and I don’t know his background. In these situations, I just smile and remain kind. Negative attention only makes their egos greater. I live by the philosophy that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. You never know when someone you come in contact with will be someone that will greatly impact your life in the future. Unfortunately, there was a point in my life that I made those first impressions bad impressions. It’s not my proudest moment, but it happened.
Michael
on 05 Apr 2008 at 10:55 pm #
I agree with you. It is so much easier just to smile and be kind. Why allow it you be part of your life anymore than it needs to be.
Thanks for your sharing. I appreciate it!
Jeremy
on 06 Apr 2008 at 6:53 pm #
We’ve definitely all met people like that. My brother’s friend has a subtle way of implying to someone that their behavior is not ok. He’ll say, “Having a bad day?” This manages to give the person the benefit of the doubt that they’re usually a nice person while at the same time letting them know that they’re acting crappy. It doesn’t always work, but it definitely has more times than not. It might not have worked with a guy like this though, because he seems more crappy deep down.
I laughed out loud at that bumper sticker. Clever.
And I was wondering if you’ve watched any of the webcasts with Eckart Tolle at Oprah.com
Oprah chose his book, A New Earth, to the book club selection. I watched the first day and it was pretty cool. I’ve read a lot of spiritual books and some of the stuff that Tolle said definitely made me look at things differently.
Michael
on 06 Apr 2008 at 7:19 pm #
I am glad you enjoyed it! You made a great suggestion. That would allow the person the benefit of the doubt. I will make sure to keep that in mind next time. I think that is a great outlook to have.
Yes I have heard about him. I was signed up to attend the Oprah webcasts but I wasn’t able to attend. I will have to give the book a once over. Thanks for sharing.