Situation at Walmart -- or Clean-Up in Aisle 3

[Perldog007]

*** I call Wal Mart an ignormagnet.

And you probably haven't even visited the one in Dover Delaware. I call it something else

I was in a Wal-Mart rocking my SWK wallace, when a rather brusque voice behind me yelled "Yo! are you Irish?".

My immediate inclination was to be rude and utter an unprintable reply but my gut told me chill. It's a big gut so I listen to it.

I turned around and three large youngsters, all wearing Tap Out shirts and two of them looking like they had just been run over by a truck were standing there. I smiled and said "When I can get away with it".

"Yo, my name is Phelps but it was shortened when my great grandparents came over, they are from Ireland. Good to see you rocking the kilt big dog!".

We all shook hands and had a short conversation. The youths were cage fighters, explaining the two who looked like they had just left the Emergency Room. The one who spoke was on his way to a fight. All three were heavyweights So they were shopping for "road food" plenty of and cheap.

Sometimes it pays to be cordial, and usually costs nothing. Since I'm a recovering you-know-what I would have probably countered by telling my wife we were going to get a pic of those two ugly (use your imaginations) together IN PUBLIC!!!.

[Nighthawk]

And you probably haven't even visited the one in Dover Delaware. I call it something else

I was in a Wal-Mart rocking my SWK wallace, when a rather brusque voice behind me yelled "Yo! are you Irish?".

My immediate inclination was to be rude and utter an unprintable reply but my gut told me chill. It's a big gut so I listen to it.

I turned around and three large youngsters, all wearing Tap Out shirts and two of them looking like they had just been run over by a truck were standing there. I smiled and said "When I can get away with it".

"Yo, my name is Phelps but it was shortened when my great grandparents came over, they are from Ireland. Good to see you rocking the kilt big dog!".

We all shook hands and had a short conversation. The youths were cage fighters, explaining the two who looked like they had just left the Emergency Room. The one who spoke was on his way to a fight. All three were heavyweights So they were shopping for "road food" plenty of and cheap.

Sometimes it pays to be cordial, and usually costs nothing. Since I'm a recovering you-know-what I would have probably countered by telling my wife we were going to get a pic of those two ugly (use your imaginations) together IN PUBLIC!!!.

You know what's funny about that? I went to Home Depot, which is right next door to our local Wal Mart, to pick up some supplies for a targe I was making. Some guy sitting on the tailgate of his pickup truck, looking every inch the redneck farmboy, yelled out to me "Hey! Can I come over to your house for some haggis?" Well, I acted like I didn't hear him and went about my business. When I came out, he was actually standing by my car!! I thought "Well, it seems all those years of martial arts training may be about to pay off." But no... It turned out that he was a cattle rancher who's grandmother, like mine, was a Scot, and used to cook haggis when he was a kid. She died and took her recipe to her grave, unlike mine, and he was actually half serious! He wanted the recipe, and he wanted to apologize for having come off as rude! He and I chatted for about half an hour, during which time, I introduced him to the joys of Albannach and Brother. So when you say that being cordial often pays off and costs nothing, you're so right! It worked for the other guy for sure! But sadly, not me in this case!

And speaking of my martial arts training, we recently tested for promotions in my school. I had to memorize the 7th philosophy of the Golden Eagle Shotokan Karate school in order to pass my test. It's very appropriate to this discussion, so I thought I would post it!

DO NOT DISPUTE WITH OTHERS MERELY TO DEFEND YOUR OWN VIEWS, RIGHT IS RIGHT, ERROR IS ERROR. JUDGE CALMLY WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG. IF YOU ARE CONVINCED THAT YOU ARE WRONG, STRONGLY MAKE AMENDS. IF YOU MEET ONE WHO IS KNOWLEDGABLE
IN AN AREA, JOYFULLY ACCEPT HIS TEACHING. IF ANY MAN IS IN ERROR, QUIETLY EXPLAIN TO HIM/HER THE TRUTH AND STRIVE TO MAKE HIM UNDERSTAND.