Never take action when you are angry.
There was an excellent speech in the Pilot episode of the West Wing several years ago in which President Josiah Bartlett, portrayed by acting legend Martin Sheen, says that his wife (Abigail, later to be portrayed by Stockard Channing) always tells him never to do anything rash when he is angry. As a fan of the show I recorded that episode when it aired recently, and not one week ago I prevented a friend from doing something rash by showing him the clip. I felt I was helping him by imparting my patience and wisdom, along with the convincing soliloquy of Mr. Sheen.
And now a week on I sit at my computer one very angry man. I have written an article about it and if my somewhat cooler head had not prevailed you would likely be reading that article now, and not this much calmer one.
I feel I have been slighted by an airline on which I am a very frequent flier, not once but thrice this week. The first time was by a rude agent checking tickets at the gate, a situation which was quickly and satisfactorily resolved by her colleague. We all have bad days, and I assume that this agent was having one of them. I am sure that had I run into her a day earlier or later she would have been quite pleasant.
The second and third slights were one giant compounded issue which I have outlined in my article which I have chosen not to publish. I have decided to give the airline the opportunity to evaluate the incident and hopefully make good on it.
I think I probably made the right decision - I am a very confident writer who rarely does more than a cursory reread of my work for grammar and style before publishing it to my own blog, and I would not like to write anything that I might later like to retract.
If you had known me only a few years ago you would understand what a change this is for me, but as a professional who has matured over the past decade I know that bells cannot be unrung and glass cannot be unshattered.
I feel it is very important to choose one's words carefully. In conversation I have been known to take long pauses that have been misconstrued as so many things from pregnant pauses to petit-mal seizures, but the truth of the matter is it is usually a sign of respect for the person or group I am speaking to. I pause to make sure that I pick the exact right words, usually when they matter the most. When my advice is sought on presentation skills I always point out that the only people who are impressed by really fast talkers are usually purchasing cattle, and that slowing down one's pace not only helps with diction, but allows us to think ahead to the end of a point and into the next one.
When I look back on the article you are reading, and then to the one that is in the holding pen, I can see a number of differences. The other article would be a good story, and might envelop you in the rage that I felt and probably do still feel towards those who slighted me; unfortunately there is no message in it, no point to be made or learned, though I was rather pleased with myself that I was able to legitimately use the word hereinabove. I then read what I have written herein and doubt that you will be riled; I only hope that you might be somewhat inspired.
Have a great week-end.