Another reflection

There's a pattern in my life. Maybe in yours too. I seem to run into some difficult people. I mean just those types that can push my buttons. WHAMMO! Zero to pissed off in six seconds.

I made a list today of the names. It stretches back to 1990. Geepers that's a list. Funny thing is...they ARE all difficult people. Even the most objective person would say "Yep, that guy/gal's a jerk. No doubt about it." There are men and women on there, young, old...a real all inclusive list. No discriminating. Was there a theme? Yeah, I guess. They all didn't understand or appreciate something they had. They should have gotten a point, figured something out, communicated better...

One lady just didn't understand business and would frequently screw up plans we would make;

One guy had to do my review, this would have been a boss I once had, and what a joke. I was ticked before the meeting. He didn't have a clue how to lead, let alone figure out if I knew what I was doing;

This other guy used to write the most arrogant emails. Really, really arrogant. The kind that just come right off the screen, grabs your guts and starts knot-tying. Man, I hated that guy.

You've probably got a similar list. Don't we all have people in our lives that are tough to deal with? So why am I so surprised when I run into "these kind of people". They are out there. We all know they're out there. Easy to spot.

I was sitting at a dinner one time with clients. It was a nice dinner. Upscale restaurant, lots of utensils all with special uses, linen napkins... A lady in the next room over caught my eye. She had long curly hair, like me. Sitting at a table full of suits, like me. What it took a few seconds to figure out was, it was me. Just a reflection from the mirror. An image bouncing back at me. Unrecognizable at first. But, clearly me. Once I took a minute I could recognize myself in a sea of others.

I'm looking at this list and thinking about that dinner and, man, my stomach is really in knots now.