You will not believe this story....

This morning I took Gracie to her ed therapy appt and we have a routine for these appts: I walk the dogs and then go get Grace a bagel at the local bagel shop.

I tie up the dogs outside and they wait for me. Well, the line at the bagel shop was longer than normal and Ahi started getting nervous about the wait and got off her leash. Thankfully a lady came running in and told me that my dog was loose. I ran out and her teenage sons where there trying to keep Ahi close. I called Ahi to me and thanked them profusely for their help!

I was bending down, talking to Ahi and putting her harness on. And I had told Daisy Mae to sit and stay. They had both been tied to a chair and had moved the chair in the commotion. As I am working on securing Ahi (the 11 pound dog), a man comes out of the bagel shop and scream at me, "if you scratch that car, you will be sorry". His tone and demeanor were totally hostile.

My response, "excuse me?"
Him: "that's my car and if you scratch it, you will be sorry and have to pay for it". (I look up and there is a new car parked about 2 feet behind me).
Me: "Sir, you could say that in a much nicer way to me."
Him: "We you don't seem to be very concerned about your dogs scratching my car.
Me: "I don't know what you want but I ran out her right away when I saw there was a problem and they are not close to your car."
Him: "Well that's my car."
Me: "Ok, whatever."

I disengaged and continued hooking up Ahi and brought both dogs two blocks back to my car.

Then I went back to the bagel shop to find him sitting at a table with his friend. The man was about 67 years old and he and his friend were retired IBM workers. I knew this because I had been in line behind them and had been listening to their conversation. And I had thought, how nice that these retired friends were getting together for a bagel....me...always looking at the positive things in life!

So, I walk up to the man and in a very calm, very firm, very in control voice say:

"You know, you have no idea what is happening in peoples lives when you speak to them that way and you should by much kinder to your neighbors."

Him, very meekly: "ok."

Me: "You should never speak to another human being like that over a car, a car that had not even been touched."

Him, again very meekly: "ok."

Me: "You need to think about what people might be experiencing in their lives that you don't know about and speak with kindness."

Him, again, head down and clearly the look of embarrassment: "ok."

Me: "I hope you have a good day."

Then I went and bought my bagel and people in the bagel shop smiled at me, said good morning and were clearly amused that I had called him on it!

What an ass!