Longer observation

A lot of things that used to bother me don’t seem to be bothering me so much anymore, so maybe parenthood has chilled me out a little bit.

I’ll give you an example:

I looked at the weather forecast on the BBC Weather website this morning and it said ‘light sleet showers’ were expected around the area I work and live. By 11am it was snowing. Not light, little, fluffy ‘polystyrene balls’ snow, but the full-on ‘shit I may get stuck at work’ stuff. There was a time, not long ago, when that would have pissed me off: “Why didn’t they warn us this was coming? What if I get snowed in and have to stay in my office for three days? Think how messy the garages will be where unprepared drivers are traipsing mud and slush into them all day…”

Now though, I just watch it happen and let the World get on with it, which is strange because now I really do have a reason to be worried about getting stranded. “Who will protect Philippa and Mathew if I can’t get home to them tonight? What if they run out of food? What if this snowfall never ends and they’re buried under the blizzard and frozen solid, ending up resembling people from Pompeii (if they had lived in Siberia)?”

Another example is the way I am able to keep calm in the face of ridiculous complaints. Someone insisted on seeing me today because the handle on the diesel pump was covered in diesel. This young lady was extremely unhappy because her painted nails and manicured hands now smelt very vaguely of fuel. “Why don’t you supply gloves? Or ban truck drivers from using the pumps? I’m sure it’s them who cause the mess.” Previously I could have easily felt my blood boil and then condescendingly pointed out to her that there are plastic gloves available on every pump and that a huge percentage of our income arises from trucks, so banning them would lead to us closing down and then where would she go for the £10 of diesel she puts in her Fiesta every Monday?

But it didn’t bother me today. I just let her prattle on and thought “Who gives a shit? I’ve got a baby to go home to, and a wife who has never looked happier.”

Who knew parenthood would lead to a calmer life?

RC 28-1-19