don't give me no attitude

first, i suppose i should say that i am not one for reality tv. usually makes me way too anxious.

but, that being said...

i got sucked into some show about a woman who goes to various hair salons and tells them what they're doing wrong and how to turn everything around (note to self: do not watch this while eating). there's another show called 'kitchen nightmares' that's similar, except that it's restaurants and not salons (obviously). and inevitably, in every episode there's the asshole with the attitude. at first i watched with disdain the lack of comprehension, but then i realized that i have been that asshole.

in north carolina i managed a metaphysical bookstore owned by a world renowned psychic medium and another guy. that guy was my boss and when i first started we got along like gangbusters. but then things changed and i grew very bitter towards the (failing) establishment for many reasons. to name but a few - i wasn't in any way doing what i wanted to do with my life (personal. i get it. fine.), i made shit money, i worked part time, i wasn't allowed to work at the same time as another employee because we 'got along too well,' i was told not to talk to the (very few) customers for too long, and i was blamed for the retired hairdresser/new employee going off his meds and driving away in my boss's car.

so near the end of my eight month stint i was, in a word, bitter. and one day i walked into the store and a new employee (who i hired two weeks before) took me aside and told me i had an attitude problem.

i didn't take it well.

i walked directly up to my boss and quit (he wasn't upset), handed over my key and was done with the place. i went home, cried, and looked up temp agencies in town.

i know now that i was being pretty petty about it all. we've all been in those situations that seem completely crippling and anger-making when we're in them, and then we're released and suddenly the problems seem superficial. i've been there. i have been one those attitude angry people who's sick of all the shit and doesn't want someone coming in saying that if my attitude were better things would be grand. yes, i have been one of those assholes.

...and then i grew up.