I woke up yesterday feeling like the monster in me was just trying to escape my body. I mean every woman understands when I say I woke up craving  chocolate and a fight.  It was just one of those days, a day I was working very hard to “contain the crazy monster.” And I was doing very well until … the man in the convertible  red Mercedes entered my life. The monster appeared!

You see,  Jim and I were out for a romantic dinner and a show. I was driving and pulled into a parking lot to look for a place to park.  A man in a red convertible was sitting with no blinker on, so I assumed he was waiting for the spot opening. Out of no where another car pulled in and took it from this guy. Everything after that is kind of a blur, but I do remember getting the brunt of this guys anger as he gave me a 20 second mean honk and then shot past me like a lightening bolt. I wasn’t the one who took his spot, but I got the wrath for some reason.  Really sir, a 20 second honk at me was necessary?

I was stunned. Jim and I looked at each other speechless for several seconds trying to comprehend what just happened. Then we busted out laughing. But I allowed myself to stew about it over dinner and soon became determined to find that joker. And boy was he gonna get it! I even practiced on Jim as to what I was gonna say and do. Yes, crazy I know.

All of a sudden I didnt’ mind walking around in the rain getting drenched before the show looking for this red Mercedes. I didn’t care what I looked like, I had a mission I needed to fulfill and that was to give him a big piece of my mind!

Well, I never did find the car, or the honking offender, thankfully. But I did learn a lot from that situation.

First, I realized that it’s easy to show Christian love and grace and mercy when it’s smooth sailing. Anybody can do that.  But look at what I turned into under that ugly situation! It felt bad. It felt wrong. I was embarrassed and ashamed in front of the person I’ve been with since I was 14 years old. While he was calm and clear minded, he saw me revert back to my selfish, hot headed teenage ways!

Secondly, I learned to be thankful for what I DIDN’T get which was to have met up with him after the incident. In the heat of my anger, heaven only knows what kind of trouble I would have gotten myself into. Once that Jersey girl gets unleashed, well … it never ends good.

Besides,  I hear those horizontal prison stripes add an extra 10 pounds on ya.

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Suzanne.Lynn@zradio.org  e-mail

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