Last week I got my wife’s bike serviced… and while I was there, the shop attendants weren’t very nice to me…
I know nothing about bikes, so they joked/laughed in Spanish under their breath, overcharged me (is $110 too much to pay for a bike service? 🤷♂️), and on top of all that they didn’t even have the bike ready 4 days later when they promised it would be done. It didn’t make me feel great.
Anyway, I made up my mind I would complain to the bike shop owner…
So I marched down there, right before closing time to pay my invoice and give a stern talking to the owner.
BUT…
When I got to the front counter, I noticed the owner’s daughter was standing right next to him. She was probably in her late teens, had some sort of disability, and was drawing on her Dad’s arm with a sharpie while he was trying to work. She kept saying “Dad, I’m hungry, can we go home to eat now?”
My heart sunk.
I was about to complain to this poor guy about my tiny problems, when he has more on his plate than I can even fathom.
It was a perspective check that I needed.
And I’ve been thinking about it every day since.
******
Today: As you’re going about your day, interacting with your friends, meeting coworkers and strangers… Remember that what you see is just the tip of the iceberg.
People are probably going through a lot more stuff than you think. 🙂
Wishing you a big hearted and compassionate day,
– Joel
Riding with wifey to work in the morning is the highlight of my day! 🙂