Government Employees

I had to go to the Social Security office this morning and sat for about three hours in a cramped office waiting for them to call A174. I took my pull tab number, filled out my form and sat quietly and the first number they call A143. Ughhh! I ended up missing my afternoon Biology class and got the typical rude service from one of the United States finest government workers. If I had sat there any longer, I would have been late to work as well. Luckily, 3 hours is a short wait, or so I hear. As I sat there waiting patiently for 'Gladys' to call me (her name was NOT Gladys. Gladys just sounds like a government workers name, lol) some thoughts ran through my head:

1. Why do government workers seem so ornery? No matter how pleasant you are, it seems like they're purposely trying to crush your happy demeanor until you walk away feeling small.

2. If you are not happy to have your government job, why don't you just quit and do what you have always wanted to do? Is it because you want job security and really would rather be doing something else for a living?

3. Why is there about 16 booths at any government building, i.e. Soc. Sec., DMV, Courts, and there are only 3 to 5 people manning the booths? On what mysterious days do they actually staff enough employees to work these booths?

4. Why is it these government offices have security desks for the guard but they are hardly ever at their desk? when they are at their desk, why are they just as obnoxiously rude as the government workers?

I am by no means trying to stereotype ALL government workers (maybe just the majority of them, lol), but my answer to all of the headaches I incur while at a government office or dealing with a TSA, a terrible restaurant staff member, basically an unhappy worker in general, practice patience and JUST SMILE. No matter what you have to go through to get done with what you need to get done, practice patience and JUST SMILE. When you do these two things for even the grumpiest person alive, you first, give the other person the opportunity to reciprocate, and quite honestly, isn't that exactly what were looking for in our dealings in order for them to be pleasant? Secondly, even if your having a bad day, your smile lets everyone know you love the life you live regardless of where your life is at.

I am sure it's a life skill a missionary needs when they're out crushing pavement. As the saying goes, "It's not easy but it's definitely worth it."

I get to go practice being patient and smiling at work and I'm sure it makes a difference.