I just returned from our church fall supper. I have enough turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie in my body to last me for - hmm - a week, I guess, since next weekend is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada.
Not only is our fall supper a delicious event, it is a testimony to teamwork. Just about everyone at the church does something toward the event. I donated food, and both #1 and #2 helped clear tables. There are three sittings for about a hundred people each. It is a huge event, and it generates quite a bit of money to help with church expenses through the year.
When people arrive with their tickets, the organizers have them wait in the main church until the tables are ready in the hall. Then they have people enter about twenty at a time in order to maintain fluid crowd movement.
I was sitting in the church, reading a book to #3 as we waited, when a group of adults, perhaps a family, sat behind us. I had never seen them before. To my knowledge, they weren't members of our church. They were talking loudly enough that I had no trouble hearing them. In fact, their conversation distracted me from our book.
Then I zeroed in our the meaning of their words.
They were saying things like,"Well, if you make dinner tickets cost $9.50, at least you could have some quarters in the cashbox!" and, "She didn't even know how much to charge me. She asked me how much it added up to. Now, that's clever - to put someone who can't do math at the ticket table!"
The lady at the ticket table was one of my best friends. Not only does she attend the same church I do, she teaches with me at my school. My boys call her "Auntie M".
Before I knew what was happening, my body was turning around all on its own, and suddenly words were pouring out of my mouth.
"These people are volunteers, and they are doing the very best they can."
There was a moment of silence as the people tried to process what I had said.
Then I turned back to my seat and continued my story with #3, still not quite believing I had done that. I hate conflict.
I heard murmurs after that about "eavesdropping" and "self-righteous Christians", and my heart beat a little faster for quite a while, but I still don't regret my outburst.
Frankly, I'm still having a hard time fully comprehending that it happened at all.
6 comments:
You did the right thing by standing up for your friend and the other volunteers.
Sorry you got upset by that rude woman. :(
Thanks, Pissy. I was quite upset - at her and at myself in a way. I don't like to draw attention to myself most of the time, but they must have just pushed all the right (or wrong) buttons!
It's their bad karma, not yours. You did the right thing.
Yes, you did the right thing. I know JUST how you feel but sometimes we need to speak up. Self righteous!??! I don't really know you, but you come across as the opposite of that!
Man, if that is an outburst, those people don't want to encounter ME! LOL
I am sure your friend is pleased that you defended her (if she even knows??) and I am glad you put those rude people in their place! THEY sound pretty self-righteous to me! URG!! This just makes me SO MAD!!
Thanks Menty.
Good to know that I did what Buddha would have done.
Maybe I wasn't just a "self-righteous Christian" after all.
Lowa - Thanks to you, too. A friend at work pointed something out to me today. We may be "self-righteous Christians", but obviously they feel our turkey is good enough for them! ;-)
Ahhh, you guys are great! Thanks, Karen.
Post a Comment