For as long as I can remember, my younger brother has had learning disabilities. He struggles socially, was picked on aa lot, had difficulty concentrating, became easily frustrated, and generally hated his schooling, despite the fact that he is exceptionally intelligent. By age 15 he had been incorrectly diagnosed with all sorts of mental handicaps ranging from autism to bipolar disorder to clinical depression. He was put into several rehab facilities, and given such high levels of various medications that he could barely function. He went to four different high schools without ever earning a pass in 10th grade. All his life he was told he would never obtain a real education by doctors, phycologists, teachers and peers.
At the age of 18, he decided he’d had enough of doctors, went off all his medication, and started seeing a life coach and doing an online course to obtain his GED (which is not offered in our country). In the space of 4 months he was able to achieve his GED in science within the top 20 mark category (after having never passed a science test in standard schooling), and is now aiming to complete his other subjects in time to go to university next year to get a degree in film.
My brother has spent his entire life being told he would never be good enough, only to prove that he is well beyond ordinary. I’ll admit, my brother is very quirky and different, but he proved to so many people that just because you don’t fit into the norm doesn’t mean you can’t achieve greatness.
Complaint to compliment.
(I work in a well-known British supermarket that’s known as a partnership where all employees have a share in the company. In this story, I’m restocking bread. We’ve recently had to rearrange this aisle, losing stock of a certain brand to replace it with more of another brand and our own brand. As I’m restocking, a customer comes up to ask for help).
Customer: Hello, I’m looking for a big loaf of (brand 1). All I can find are toasties and bloomers.
Me: I’m sorry, we have had to remove most of that brand to make room for more of (brand 2) and our own brand.
Customer: (launches into a rant about forever changing products that leads onto a tangent about not having enough sliced beef and having too much sliced ham).
Me: I am very sorry, it’s not ideal but unfortunately there’s not much I can do but offer you another brand.
Customer: (suddenly notices my name tag and pauses her rant) oh that’s a lovely name! Very graceful. Not many people have that name. I’m called (a fairly unique name originating from Greece).
Me: I guess it is nice to have a unique name.
(The customer then bids me farewell. It was a nice compliment but I was flummoxed at how quickly she went from a rant to polite smalltalk).
(Me and my wife race grasstrack sidecars in our spare time. We are are getting our bike ready the morning of an event when we are aproached by a man and woman with child)
Man: Hi, we dont want to bother you but would it be possible for our son to have a sit on your bike? He’s going through chemotherapy right now and could do with a smile
Me: If i can get permission and its ok with you I can do one better and have him come out with us on the parade lap if he wants?
(The boys eyes go as wide as dinner plates and his smiles not much smaller as he looks at his parents expectedly)
Woman: I think thats a yes then *laughs*
(I go check its ok with the right people and come back with the good news. I also tell them I’d arranged a surprise during the presentations afterwards. They thank me and leave until its time for the parade lap. When it came to the presentations, the boy was asked to come up onto the podium and help hand out the trophies, prize money etc. I often see them when we are at events in the area and the boy is now all clear and healthy)
I am on the phone with Social Security, trying to get a paper that says I no longer get a disability check, and haven’t receive one since January, about 5 months ago.
Me- Hi, I am calling to get a paper that says I no longer get a disability check.
Lady on the phone- Ok, you should have receive one when you stopped getting your checks.
Me- The only paper I got was one that said I was denied my claim for an adult, but it didn’t say I no longer would get a check
Lady on the phone- So you need a paper that shows your last check.
Me- Yes, that is all I need, Can you mail it to me?
Lady- But the paper you got in December should be good enough.
Me- Well, it doesn’t say when my last check was.
Lady- But it should still work.
I realize this is getting no where, and the lady clearly doesn’t understand what I need, so I ask for something a little different
Me- Well the paper I got in December is more then 3 months old, so I need a more current paper saying I no longer get a check.
Lady- Oh ok, It will be there in about 10 business days,
Me- Ok, Thank you, have a nice day.
(It is Saturday, our busiest day, and we are super busy. One customer comes in without an appointment, but we are willing to squeeze their two dogs in , letting them know it will take a while. They are ok with it)
Customer: *calling in a few hours later* Hi, are my dogs ready?
Me: well, I’ve is done and the other is bathed, but the groomer does have to go to lunch soon and it will probably take another few hours due to the complicated haircut as the other dogs who came in before you.
Customer: This is unacceptable! I went to a baseball game and they should be ready now! I’m coming to get them! *hangs up*
(I let my co-workers know what happened and that I’m going to just charge for the bath, not the haircut. A few minutes later a physically angry man with a red face storms in saying he’s here for the dogs)
Man: I’M HERE FOR MY DOGS! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!!
Me: Ok, so we’re going to charge for just the bath on this dog. The total is ##
Man: *fuming* what!? This is horse s***! Why is it so much? F*** you!!!
Me: Well this is the price of a bath, it’s actually less than the price you signed for. I’m sorry you are upset, but unfortunately i cannot change the price.
Him: I want to speak to a manager! This is f****** B******* you charge this much! We dropped them off in the morning and they should be done!
Me: Well, our manager isn’t here, but if you have any complaints, you can call during the weekday. And –
Him: *cuts me off* OH I’M GONNA DO THAT!
*he actually lets me process the transaction and charge his card, probably because at this point I’ve stopped looking at him and focused on the invoice. He continues cursing and ranting as i slide his card as just act as calm as possible going through the typical dialogue at this point. That seems to set him off more because when he signs the receipt, he just writes “HORSE S***” in place of his name)
Him: I wrote HORSE S**** ON THE RECEIPT BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT YOU ARE! I’M TELLING MY MOTHER IN LAW TO NEVER COME HERE! F**** YOU! *insert string of profanity* YOU’VE JUST LOST MY BUSINESS!!!!
Me: Have a nice day!
(One of the groomers was outside and he started ranting at her, i peeked out the door holding a phone as if i was about to call the police, and he got in his car and sped off. I called my manager and now he is banned at the store, and if he tried to come in again, we will call the police for real)
