Temperance.
"Moderation or self-restraint in action, thought or feeling."
Moderation seems to be my middle name. I've never understood extremes. To be honest I'm sometimes envious of the die-hard sports fan fully clad in representative colors, and sporting face paint. Nope, it's just not me.
My practical nature technically comes across as pretty boring. You don't find me responding over the top about much of anything. I keep most everything in check.
Except, perhaps in the line at Walmart. I don't know what it is about that place, but I have lost my cool there way too many times to count over the years. Perhaps, I'm setting myself up for failure by shopping there so much.
About a year ago I went to pick up a grocery delivery for my daughter, and couldn't believe my eyes as I watched the bin of groceries tumble out all over the parking lot when the attendant hit a bump.
To make matters worse my groceries co-mingled with another customers, and I had no idea what my daughter had purchased. I kind of figured the large amount of vanilla pudding cups probably weren't hers, though. I know the employee was mortified, but she blew it off with a "things happen" attitude. At that moment she hit a nerve, as my temperance was hanging by a thread.
I returned to my car to wait for her to figure it out, after letting her know I wasn't pleased. Oh, wait it gets worse. At that moment I was only mildly disturbed. When I returned a few minutes later the man waiting there took it upon himself to step in as rescuer, and let me know that I was out of line for complaining.
At that moment, not my finest, I basically lost all self-restraint. I'm sure it's on video somewhere, and making its way into the infamous people of Walmart archive. After my rant I was so embarrassed that I avoided the place for several months, and when I did return I crept in wearing a scarf and sunglasses.
I sure could have used the virtue of temperance that day.
"Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult."
Samuel Johnson
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