September 8, 2024 / 2 Minute Read

i got mad again

Everything was great until I got to the airport.

I was returning home from one of the best vacations I’ve ever had.

As I exited the security line, I noticed that my backpack was missing.

I was confused since I’d gone through TSA a few days ago with no issues.

What was the problem?

I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The employees seemed to be lollygagging with no sense of urgency.

Mind you, this was at about 5AM, which meant they’d likely just gotten to work and were still tired.

Did I show patience?

Kindness?

Grace?

All the traits that God has shown me?

Nope.

They provided a slight inconvenience for me, and I took it personally.

I got mad again.

I know I shouldn’t have, but I did.

After what seemed like an eternity one of the workers finally got to my bag.

I watched as she ransacked my luggage before finally pulling out my toiletry bag.

That’s when it hit me.

I remembered that my dad had put some hair cream in my bag the night before.

Apparently, it was over 3.4 ounces.

She began to explain that I wouldn’t be able to take it with me, but before she finished I snapped.

“Just throw it away and give me my stuff,” I growled.

She said something before handing me my bag, but I didn’t hear her.

My senses tend to dull when my emotions run high.

I walked away with my family, making jokes about how that was probably the highlight of her day and how much of a loser she was before my cousin brought me crashing back to reality.

“They’re just doing their job,” he says.

As we walked to our gate, I began to reflect on my behavior and the words of my kin.

Of course, like always, I started to feel awful.

Why can’t I think about the consequences in the moment?

Why do I keep making the same mistakes?

I knew the answers, but I still failed the test.

As I’ve done so many times in the past, I decided to attempt an apology after freaking out.

But this time, it was too late.

When I returned to the security line, she was gone.

I stayed for a few minutes, hoping she’d return, but she never did.

I realized that I’d likely never see her again, and that I’d have to live with the consequences of my actions.

Sometimes I think I’m getting better, but then I get angry and I’m right back to square one.

So here’s some advice from a fellow hothead…

Be kind to strangers.

Be careful how you treat people.

You might not always get a second chance.

Bye Chance.