Our shop vac died. Gage and I went to town and shopped for a new one. Of course, that made him hungry, so we went to Cracker Barrel. I have been trying to teach him manners, empathy, respect...all that stuff that seems to escape teenagers these days...so I strive to nab opportunities in real life and turn them into educational moments.
Sitting at the table beside us was an older couple who had come in to eat their lunch. Everything was going grand until the waitress (who was also a new employee) brought them corn instead of cornbread stuffing and horror of horrors - forgot the vinegar for their greens. Their unhappy griping, then demeaning words sure weren't nice, and something that could have been taken care of with a simple reminder or request had two managers and waitress hovering over their table, apologizing over and over.
I looked at my 14 yr old. His eyes were huge. I asked him if that was the proper way to handle a mistake. He looked at me, shook his head and said, "it's just a bowl of corn".
Yes, the waitress made a mistake. No, it is not improper to ask for what you ordered or to ask for it to be fixed. But, it sure is improper and shows a great lack of character when you berate someone. Now, the waitress was nervous, scared and I'll guarantee you that she will never forget their faces should they ever be seated in her section again.
So, thank you to Mr and Mrs X. You provided the perfect opportunity to remind my son that life is short and precious, and that he sure doesn't want to be remembered for acting nasty over a bowl of corn and some vinegar for his greens.
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