So this morning....

I'm not really sure what the point of this is but...

This morning, I was waiting for my bus to work. Some dude kinda stumbles up to me asks me if I smoke then demands a cigarette from me. This was the second guy in about two minutes to ask for a smoke and he was fairly rude so I said no. Guy started getting pissed off and starts to storm away. Suddenly he stops turns around and whips a can pf gingerale at me. It missed hit the wall behind me and exploded all around me. I was really close to reacting fairly negatively at this point, but decided going to work was better than being arrested so I just kinda stood there. He stormed off but ended up on the same bus as me.

He got on and I started to call him out on what happened. He just kinda stopped and apologized and started telling me he was on his way to jail and he'd spent the night trying to kill himself shooting up heroin but it didn't work because he kept waking up....

In the end we kinda shook and made up and I went to work and i'm guessing he continued his journey to jail....

I dunno it just got me thinking about people's reactions to situations and how it can change the outcome of whatever's happening. I could've snapped started freaking out probably ended up in a fight could've been arrested or hurt. Could have ended up hurting the dude, which in the end I would've regretted. The guy could've reacted differently to my refusing giving him a cigarette. Honestly if he'd come up to me from the beginning and told me what he told me on the bus I probably would've given him a smoke.

Sorry for the ramble it was just one of those things that helped me remember that while you may not be able to control a situation you can control how you react to them...sometimes it's the difference between making a #ty situation better or making it a whole lot worse.

a reply to: dug88

Kudos for reacting the way you did! We never know what another human being may be going through.

Well done. It's hard to take the High road but it often ends up much better than kicking some ones over-reactive ass. Political discussion could use some of that attitude

originally posted by: Night Star
a reply to: dug88

Kudos for reacting the way you did! We never know what another human being may be going through.

My sentiments exactly, as I often point out in debates, everyone has a story to tell,

No pointing judging until you know,

a reply to: dug88

You very well may have saved this man's life.

a reply to: dug88

My advice is quit smoking.
You obviously don't need advice on how to handle a hot situation.
Good for you.

He took the bus to jail?

originally posted by: Atsbhct
He took the bus to jail?

Yeah there's a Correction's institute further on the bus route...I realized later on though I'd seen that guy before and actually talked to him some time last year. He was downing out waiting in the bus line doing some impressive, almost falling over but not quite, nodding off into the people behind and in front of him who were being fairly polite about it. He looked like he was going to work or something, he had a flagger's vest on and was carrying a pair of gumboots. But, on the bus later he started talking to me and my coworker about how he was all #ed up on heroin heading to talk to his probation officer. He even showed us his court paper or whatever it was....thinking now it seems like his probation did not go well....

a reply to: dug88
This story is exactly how the world will get better, a little at a time. Good on you.

Simply good job