some folks

some folks just hardheaded. i'm one of 'em.

now the other day i had somewhere to go and i was having a little bit of car trouble. now the smart thing to do woulda been to take care of the problem once and for all and then move on. i was well aware of this. but i opted for the quick fix, because i had somewhere to go, like i said, and i was hard pressed to make my appointment. i'd deal with the problem later.

up comes a good samaritan, bless his heart. actually, he approached, 'cause he needed help, but he had good timing, 'cause at that particular moment, i was getting frustrated and i coulda used his help too. he asked for help, i told him what i could, then i asked for his help. he suggested the once and for all fix. i told him i opted for the quick fix. he explained that the once and for all fix was better. i told him that i knew that, but i had somewhere to go.

let's pause.

in my opinion, at this point, this is where home skillet shoulda recognized that i was resolute in my decision, for better or for worse, and that he was either going to help me do what i was resolved to do, or he was going to have to get out my way while i struggled to do it myself.

but i wouldn't be telling this story if he did that, now would i?

he commenced to keep on lauding the virtues of his way and kept on talking about how i shouldn't do it my way. which only served to aggravate the hayle out of me. right when i was about to give up on him 'cause he was wasting my time, he gave in and just helped me with my quick fix. i was about to tell him to leave me alone.

see, it's not that i didn't appreciate his advice or his assistance. i did. i really truly did. in my gratitude, i was even later to my appointment because i wanted to make sure that he had the directions that he needed. but and however... once i'd made it clear that i knew what i wanted to do, that i was aware of the particulars of his advice, and that based on that and other information, i was sure of my decision, he had the opportunity to hear me and let me make my own mistake. instead, he continued to talk as if i simply hadn't heard or understood him, as if i was not only deaf, but as if i had the intelligence of cereal.

i hate being underestimated, disregarded, and ignored.

which is why the small talk (so when did you come through your sorority? really, well i came through fall 94. yeah, and blah blah blah) didn't really go over like it would have under other conditions. you know, where he would have just let me be in my own hardheaded fashion.

notice i haven't detailed the particulars of my little issue. that's 'cause i don't want no whole mess of unsolicited auto advice in my comments. let me reiterate - i know i was making an inferior decision. be advised, however, that i got where i was going and back safely, that i'm going to the shop today, and that all is well with me and my ride. hardheaded though i may be.