FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Beware of Garbage Trucks by: Ms. Chita C. Heap

This article is quite appropriate for what is happening in our lives everyday, so read carefully and you might learn something from it.

How often do you let other people’s bad manner

s change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt employer or an insensitive employee ruin your day?

I heard this story from a friend long time ago. This happened in the back of a taxi cab in Taunton, England. This was what happened.

‘I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the coach station. We were driving in the right lane, when all of a sudden a car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My driver slammed on his breaks, skidded and missed the other car’s back end by just inches.

The driver of the other car, the guy who almost cause a big accident turned his head around and he started screaming bad words at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean, he was friendly. So I said, “Why did you do that. This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!’
And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’

Many people are like garbage truck. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them they’ll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump their garbage on you, do not take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well and move on. You will be happy you did. So this was it.”The Law of the Garbage Truck”.

I started thinking how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, “I am not going to do it anymore.” I began to see garbage trucks. I see the load they are carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my taxi driver, I do not make it a personal thing, I just smile, wave, wish them well and I move on.

One of the football players I saw in the television many times did this on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled. He never dwelled on a hit. He was ready to make his next play his best.’

Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from schools with hugs and kisses. Teachers and parents know that they have to fully present their best for the people they care about./TE