21 September 2012

A Letter to Mr. Grumbles


Dear Sir,

I apologize for our wake up call system.  I checked, double checked and confirmed that all the wake-up calls were correctly scheduled in our house phone system.  I am sorry that i did not follow up immediately as i waited 5 minutes from your original scheduled time.  Thank you for bringing our faults to attention as we aim to provide you with a quality guest service experience.  We are working as best we can to rectify this issue.

On a side note, I do understand that your day began poorly.  I urge you to please remember that i am as human as you are and i do not appreciate the condescending language your tongue provided at the expense of decency.  The accusations you placed on me are completely false.  Please do not make assumptions based upon less than factual circumstance.  Also, if you absolutely must direct vulgar language at me, please be man enough to do so in front of me, not as you exit the door.  Do not walk away from me while you accuse me of not caring, or as you so-less-than-eloquently put it "feeding (you) shit" (though breakfast is included with your stay).   That is cowardly.  I do care about you; as a guest and as a person.  I am sorry that my efforts failed you.

I again apologize for our fault and i forgive you for the way you treated me.  That you would treat a complete stranger with such animosity concerns me.   Please know that i am praying for you and yours.  I am sorry i was not able to share these words with you in person.  I do hope we meet again in less-than-hostile circumstances. 

Sincerely,
Dayton Landry




"People are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you; Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight; Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten; Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway."
- Mother Theresa
- (also an original version was credited to Kent M. Keith)

11 September 2012

boring ole lines

I went to a pancake dinner at the Lognion house this weekend. The rest of this entry is all downhill. Really. What could compete with a pancake dinner? Nothing.  Especially with all the lovely ladies in their classy dresses, UL-L whipping up on Troy on the TV and the boisterous Mr. Gene filling the air with his jovial eruptions.  I'm serious. I haven't slept in a while. It's all downhill from here...but if you insist:

My brother (head coach) and his John (ass. coach) (fine, assistant coach) happened to be in town for a soccer tournament Saturday evening so i brought them along with me (after clearing it with the hosts, of course. it's the cordial thing to do. remember, kids, always be cordial).  Their presence at the dinner gathering had a specific purpose: to supply me with blog ammunition. j/k, j/k...but i have been running low. combine that with my lack of functional laptop and a general lack of thought and we find a reason why i've been posting scantily (lucky you)...but i digress.

At one point in the dinner conversation, ole Johnny boy made an effort to keep the conversation rolling with a wandering comment; something to the tune of "isn't it interesting how the little road markings keep so much order?" and you know what he did? he kicked him...no...nobody was kicked...but he did indeed bring up an interesting point.

Ah! they are little yellow and white lines. that's it. so simple, so plain. so cute...usually. But he's right. These aren't complicated markings. they're simple. Almost too simple...a point to which Mr. Colin Sallinger spoke, saying (again, something to the tune of) "It's funny, because those lines become reasons for so many accidents.  People get lulled into boredom and veer outside so often." (nearly echoing (idea-wise) a line from a homily i heard just the week before: (again again, something to the tune of) "When people get bored in their faith, they seek other means to satisfy themselves.")

(yes, i do realize i'm getting parenthesis-happy. no, i do not apologize (and neither does the church for her rules)).

(see what's going on here?)

so we see that the lines aren't the problem...we are.  the lines we so often get bored with won't change to fit what we want them to be. they won't get crazy and start jumping back and forth (because, let's be honest, that would only increase the cries, "injustice! this is unfair!").  they. just. won't. now, what they do do is adjust themselves to give us the option to do something reasonably safe, like pass, or switch lanes.  you know, in case someone is impeding us from our destination.  these rules (whoops, lines) help us reach our destination safely (aaaahhhh...see where we're going? you do, don't you?).

to jack an essay from G.K. Chesterton on what's wrong with the world, he simply (and humbly) says, "I am."  but today, the past 5-10 years especially, we're seeing a radical RADICAL change in that mindset.  and when we aren't wrong, we hear that voice: "the rules are wrong! overthrow the bigots who won't let us do whatever the hell we please!" ...and you hear the name of God...booed? (G.K., what do you think of that?) yeah, thought so.

and here we arrived. i much rather not spell it out, but people get in trouble when we get bored with the lines that are drawn for our safety, our well-being. and if we aren't humble enough to assume fault, we're on the wrong highway (i think there's a song about that). and we end up with something like a mexican traffic fiesta. (more like siesta!).

so don't be muttleys and follow the lines. they're there to protect you.

Peace,
Daytona