Tea
My boss once took our team out for a very nice lunch. The day is a mix of vivid and blurry memories. I was wearing slacks and a tie, trying to look the part. We had a party of over twenty, spread across a long row of assembled tables. It started like any routine work lunch—water, tea, Diet Dr. Pepper, weather, sports, weekend plans.
Then came the drinks.
A runner placed the tray stand behind our table. Our waitress approached the table with a giant serving tray loaded with our drinks. I was ready. Texas at lunchtime in a tie demands ice water.
The server maneuvered to land this giant tray of drinks. She made a sound—a cross between Uhh and ARGH. Her sound was followed by a cup tipping over and ice sliding. I felt a chill. Gravity stepped in, and I heard more crashing, more ice, and more chill. As she lost control of it, the entire tray of cups, ices, and an unpleasant cocktail of sticky beverages ran through my hair, down my shoulders and back, and into my seat. My pants were soaked through with diet soda. I had iced tea in my shoes. I was pelted with cups and giant ice cubes.
As the icy shock wore off, I felt angry. The anger shared space with some embarrassment. I’d been dunked in front of my co-workers. Why me? Why did this happen to me? I turned in my seat to investigate the situation. I am not sure what I hoped to see. Maybe an explanation behind this ordeal.
This was in the era when people in a restaurant would hear a glass break or something drop, and they would sarcastically applaud. As our eyes met, the applause began. She was horrified.
The applause made everything worse. In that moment, I realized this wasn’t something that happened to me. If anything, it happened to us. Truly, it just happened.
I wasn’t targeted. I didn’t deserve it. She didn’t deserve it. It just was. They brought me warm towels, a free dessert, and I got the rest of the day off from work.
When something happens, will I resist feeling targeted? Can I appreciate that I didn’t deserve it? Will I look for the warm towel and dessert—maybe an afternoon off?
Be curious, be kind, be whole, do good things.
Wow! Great delivery of the story. Great way to see it now. Sorry it happened.
Richard, I'm sorry but I had to laugh. I can picture it all. You may not drink anything but icy water, but you got it all that day. Outside instead of inside. I must say, you sure did do a lot of maneuvering to get a day off. Ha!