Karma, Baby!

You reap what you sow, right? I'm not into Buddhism or anything, but I do think we all get paybacks for our deeds. I don't know who or what controls these rewards and punishments, but very often, these happen justly. I know it happened Sunday to a cranky woman I am forced to deal with often these days.

The woman who ran the place I work at now with her husband for many years is a widow. Her son runs the place. She still comes in to wield her power and find a purpose to get up, I suppose. I really don't have a problem with this. Except. Except, she feels the need to nitpick good employees who aren't doing anything wrong. Case in point: We are in the dining room and I am preparing water glasses at the wait station for my table of four. I'm going to get a tray to carry these glasses, but she feels the need to tell me how to do my job, just in case the previous 25 years I've been carrying trays of drinks wasn't fresh in my pea brain. "Use a tray. It looks better." No shit, Sherlock. I opt for a tray for the smallest delivery. I know it looks better. I like to look professional when I do my job, so I use a tray just about every time. It's actually easier to clear a four-top of its dinner plates without a tray, but I know how to clear and stack so it looks professional without a tray on that one. But I digress.

She was riding me like a Disney carousel on Sunday. We have two doors to the kitchen. One set is swinging saloon doors so you can see feet and head when you are going through. The other side is a solid swinging door with a window at eye level. I had a tray of five breakfasts going out. I did what I always do-I kicked the door open (not a hard kick, just enough to swing the door open long enough for me to get through it. We all do it this way). Don't you know that old witch was bent down right there below window viewing range. She shot up from her stooped position and gave me an evil look. Okay, what are you doing in front of the door on a busy Sunday morning? And why, in all of your infinite wisdom, do you not have a foot or hand extended to stop the door from hitting you? It is not rocket science to take this precaution. I have never stooped to pick up something dropped in front of a swinging door in a restaurant without taking the necessary precaution from being whacked by a door getting kicked open. Duh.

I apologized (two or three times) as she continued to glare at me. But I served those breakfast plates with a smug little smile. I also laughed on the way home. The powers that be thought she needed a swift kick in the ass, and she got it. Uh huh. Karma baby. You reap what you sow.