Like a kid again

I have learnt another lesson. And yes this is another airport story, but with some added heart!

I am not sure how it all happened. Perhaps it was terribly stressful week that I spent in Zanzibar soaking up the sun with my family. Although that week must rate as one of our best family holidays ever!

Anyhow, there I was buying chips for my oldest son who was starving. This is a problem that runs in the family; perpetual hunger leading to a grocery bill larger than most house bonds! I know that chips are not nourishing but in the Zanzibar Airport, they can be considered cordon bleu! While waiting for the cashier to complete a very important conversation with a non customer about nothing in particular, my flight was called. A terrible dilemma, board my flight or solve the hunger crisis. I opted for hunger resolution, probably because old habits die hard. Just to clarify, my family were going to board another flight back home, while I was headed back to Dar to carry on with my project.

I was the last passenger to board another monster plane (10 seater) and immediately looked for my hand luggage. A funny thing to do considering that it should by definition have been in my hand. During my hunger busting chip purchase, my colleague had taken it with him and given it to one of the chaps dealing with the luggage. Not seeing my bag, I asked one of the ground staff to let me check.

Instead of the help I expected, I got a full force verbal attack from the chap that I had asked. My intelligence was attacked, I was called stupid and then told the plane would leave with or without me. I was lost for words! I turned meekly, and climbed back on the plane with my tail firmly between my legs.

Then I seethed. How could I have been so stupid as to not have better answers for anyone shouting at me? Why could I not have gotten the upper hand? How could I be so embarrassed as a grown man? There were no good answers and so I started to day dream how I would get the upper hand and cause some serious trouble when I landed on the other side. I would win this battle! How could a customer be treated in this manner, I had been wronged!

I suddenly had this thought that I felt like a little kid getting moaned at by my dad. That led to another thought that perhaps this is what my kids feel like when I shout and yell at them. And if that is true, then there can be little benefit to dealing with them in that manner. Surely I need to find a better way to deal with issues that don’t include the angry parent yelling at the rebellious child?

Now I can’t wait to get home and see if I can do things differently and get a far better behaviour result. I have no doubt my kids might not be as excited if they knew why I was so excited!!!