My wife, Gina, and I went to the wedding of a friend and neighbors daughter on Saturday. We knew trouble was brewing when we crossed the Kent Narrows Bridge.
First, a massive accident on the highway occurred about 500 yards from our exit for the wedding facility. It happened just a minute before we crossed the bridge, so the fire trucks and rescuers had not arrived yet. Since this was an outdoor wedding, all through the ceremony all you could hear was the wails of what sounded like 1000’s of sirens.
Mother of the bride could have been pissed about this, but she wasn’t.
Next, a storm front was bearing down on the area… the wind was picking up, it grew cooler and rain began to fall.
Mother of the bride could have been pissed about this, but she wasn’t.
Said wind was blowing the dresses and skirts up of the ladies at the wedding, like 50 Marylin Monroe dresses over a city grate Click here for pic of Marylin.
Mother of the bride could have been pissed about seeing the underwear or lack thereof of guests and bridesmaids, but she wasn’t.
The Chesapeake Bay was at high tide, and swamping the parking lot at the marina. We drove through about 12 inches of water to get to a dry spot. Just before and during the ceremony, the waves were coming over the barrier wall, just feet from the wedding party and priest. Think I am exaggerating? Check this out
Mother of the bride could have been pissed about all of the evil weather gods conspiring against them, but she wasn’t.
What was she so pissed about?
Multiple guests at the wedding had set up their phones to watch football games. I counted at least 5 phones balanced precariously against wine glasses. No attempts at hiding the screens under napkins for table centerpieces. They might as well have set up a movie screen they were so obvious.
This rude behavior was unacceptable. Sure, she cold not do anything about the weather, rising tides or cacophony of sirens. But she could do something about the guests ignoring her daughters most special day.
“Put it away or get out”
6 seemingly small words that when strung together had the force of a Mike Tyson punch. Bam! Ka-pow! Blam-o! Do not Donald Duck with the mother of the bride.
Parallels to business abound!
The mother of the bride did not get her bouquet in a bunch over things she could not control. Weather, traffic, sirens. She did not waste one ounce of energy on factors she could not have prevented.
However, she did take action on the one thing she could control; her guests. Succinct and blunt “Put it away or get out”
What about you? Do you fret, worry and expend your valuable energy on things you cannot control or do you just roll with the punches and react the best you can?
A bigger question… What do you tolerate as acceptable behavior whether in business or life?
- My oldest son often burped at the dinner table. I warned him that I would tie him to a tree in the backyard if he did it again.. All it took was some scratches on his back from the tree bark to never burp again.
- A former employee testing my limits on his tardiness. I went through progressive discipline and deducted from his commissions for about a week. That didn’t work, and I fired him.
- At a recent event where I was presenting and attendees paid about $5 grand to be in the room, at least 10% had their laptops and doodads not open for notetaking, but to play candy crush. Much to my hosts chagrin, I told them they how they could be $5 grand richer; by not attending the event.
All the pundits and foo foo idiots talk about “drawing a line in the sand”. With said line being able to be moved with the slightest breeze or thought.
I draw my in cement.
There is just a line you DO NOT cross with me. Different for different situations. People test my lines every day.
And they lose.
- Vendor testing me? Gone as soon as the line is crossed.
- Member or client testing me? Gone as well.
- Son or daughter testing my parenting skills? Well, not gone, but tied to a tree or made to eat dinner in the garage.
Draw your line in cement.
