#848 Instant Karma

Each morning I sit for a minute and write down what my intention for the day is.  On Thursday I wrote, "Today I intend to be patient, kind and productive."

On Thursday afternoon, on my way to the train station, I had to make a stop at the office of a good friend.  It took me a few minutes longer than I had anticipated and I found myself several blocks from Penn Station with only a few minutes until my train pulled out.  I didn't want to miss it so I decided to run the last few blocks to see if I could make it.  I hit the doors at Penn about two minutes before the scheduled departure, glanced at the monitor for my train, and headed through the doors for track 6.  As I approached the final stairs to the track there was a woman in the corridor, who was also heading for those stairs.  She had a large bag over her shoulder and was not moving very quickly.  Still moving fast, I anticipated her waddling to the left, giving me plenty of room to go around her, but she surprised me and waddled right just as I was about to pass her.  I made a quick adjustment, but I did clip her bag with my left knee.  I was moving fast, so it took me an extra step to stop and turn around to apologize.  As I did, she beat me to the punch yelling, like Steve Martin in a Saturday night live skit, "EXCUUUUUUSSSSSE ME!"   I just looked at her and smiled as best I could, knowing that she was not about to let me apologize.  As I opened my mouth to try anyway, she cut me off with a very loud, "ASSHOLE" IT'S PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT GIVE US NEW YORKERS A BAD NAME…ASSHOLE!"

I got on the train and grabbed a seat, she came into the same car and glared at me as she approached so I, again, mustered up my best smile,. What other choice did I have?  Glare back?  Call her a name? 

She continued to stare at me as she passed my seat and sat down two seats ahead of me. 

The train got underway and the conductor came through for tickets.  When he got to her, he said, "I'm sorry, you're on the wrong train.  You can get off in Newark and find a train back to New York to get the right train."  I smiled one more time.

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