We got to Best Buy and learned they were sold out of microphone stands. But they were quite happy to order us one and have it delivered to our house without charging us the usual delivery fees.
All good. Until it took the guy four different attempts to place the order through the computer.
Now, I'll be fair and say it wasn't his fault. Obviously there was a problem with the technology because it kept crashing on him. But I'm standing there with two kids who are rapidly transversing the territory from waiting patiently to bored to meltdown.
This is something I've found people have a hard time understanding. When I say I don't have any more time and I have to leave, it's not a bargaining tactic or an exaggeration. I have to go.
I could tell this poor guy thought I was upset with him for taking so long. And I didn't have the time to explain to him that it had nothing to do with him personally, but the clock was running out if I wanted to get out of there without having to bodily haul out tantruming kids. (And I'm not a bad parent because my kids have tantrums.)
I don't like leaving other people with the feeling they've messed up on something they have little to no control over. I know from experience how much that can weigh on me when someone accuses me of incompetency. I'll never understand why some people think they're so important that I've gone out of my way to make their lives difficult.
At the same time, I made the call that I needed to. I put my kids' welfare over the feelings of a stranger and no matter how much societal-guilt I have over that, it was the right decision.
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