Because “Sick” Doesn’t Care (Jerks Don’t Either)

I started today out with a stop to the post office to mail my sister’s Christmas present. Betty at the post office asked, “On your way to work?” Like she always does. I replied, “Yep, I guess I have to go, since I had yesterday off. I was out sick… have been sick since Friday.” We spoke briefly about who had a cold, etc. and I told her how I had to take photos for work on Saturday for our commencement. And then I came up with a pithy comment, “because, “sick” doesn’t care.” What I meant by that, is that “sick” doesn’t really care if you have time to be sick. It just “happens” to you. Be it a cold, the flu, hemorrhoids, or cancer.

People tell me that I am brave, or that they couldn’t handle having the “Big C” or even if a loved one had it. I just look at them and tell them, I wasn’t brave, and that if your loved one did have cancer, you just deal with it. Somehow. You have all the stages of being sad, mad, etc. Once you get over the “why me?” you just start to deal with everything and get through it.

I forgot this very lesson today when after lunch I had a “pleasant” encounter with one of the jerks at work. While there are not too many of these people at work, there are a few. I really let this person bug me… How, when I was trying to do my job, could this person be such a jerk and not help me do the best job possible? I dwelled on this for the better part of the afternoon. I drove home upset, and ate my dinner upset, and now I am finally getting over today’s “event.”

I sat down at my computer after dinner (and before writing this) and spent an hour playing a mindless game on Facebook (those who know me know the game I was playing). This mindless, but competitive game allowed me to think through the afternoon’s events and realize, that this person and his/her attitude was that of a small person and I am not going to let his/her inability to function in a normal way disturb me.

There are bigger problems in this world that the one that bothered me. (It only took me a few hours to figure it out.) I have made it through some tough times – and I know others who are going through even more difficult times than me… so I must be thankful – and forget the jerks who are out there.

After the weekend of sickness, maybe I am still not up to my healthy-self attitude – and assumed that I could ease into the workday without any problems – but I was mistaken by this assumption. “Sick” doesn’t care – just like some of the jerks who are out there too.

And… now I feel much better.