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I think the reason the thread got so many hits is that it delves into a subject that has roots in an important struggle that is going on in this country with ramifications that go beyond what this appears to be on the surface. (I apologize if this seems melodramatic, but this is, in my opinion, the root of it)

We can agree (I presume) that both parties are simply dummies, but there are several things that over-arch the intersection of these two unguided missiles that just happened to meed in an Applebees Restaurant.

1.) The nature of work and service in this country as an employee

2.) The validity of contractual arrangements between an employer and employee

3.) The role of the Internet in the workplace

4.) The cultural state of civility and discourse in both professional and personal interactions

We pretty much beat 1, 2, and 3 to death, and only touched on #4. This incident covers both professional and personal. Personally, I don’t look at this clergywoman as bringing anything religious to this discussion, so overall, I don’t factor it in at all. The reason is (from what I have read, and from her actions) that I cannot take her seriously in that role, so I view her as simply a customer, not clergy. Clergy are human, not deities (I know, kind of stating the obvious there) and there are good ones and bad ones. So in this, I just see her actions and it fits in the role of what I expected from her, an abrasive, in-your-face, race/religious charlatan and Obama supporting liberal to whom being a bully to a person serving her is just par for the course.

As a result, you and I see it differently...you expect her to conduct herself like a Christian clergywoman, and I don’t even think she really is one, deep down. For the record, I admit that is on me. I simply don’t think true clergy would be that way, and perhaps that is naive and even contradictory given my prior characterization of clergy as human, not God.

For me, the issue is a larger one. It is our attitude towards work and the personal, inner contract we have with ourselves to do things well. Basically, how important is work to our lives and to our overall outlook on things.

It resonates with me at this time right now, because I am experiencing difficulty in my own work environment, and I am being challenged to remain professional in a situation where a “customer” is treating me disrespectfully, and I face a choice: Do I suck it up, remain professional and do my job, or do I fight back in some way? Fortunately, for me, the urge to fight back has been suppressed, and I feel that I am going to remain professional in my interactions. But it was a struggle for the last month.

I get paid well in my job. But I just spent the last two months working 60-80 hour weeks under great stress, and for a good part of the time was having a titanic (for me) internal struggle on how to do the right thing. It wasn’t a one hour encounter with a jerk as my customer where I got stiffed on a few dollars. It was a real, honest to goodness internal battle on who I wanted to be. I feel this morning that the right side of me won out, and I will be able to go in today and do the professional equivalent of the waitress being able to shrug her shoulders when she gets stiffed on a tip and move forward with “That customer didn’t behave well. But I did the right thing, and next time that customer comes in, I am going to work extra hard, deliver SUPERLATIVE service to her, and make her GLAD to give me a voluntary generous tip.”

That is why, for me, it was so engaging. I was still fighting that internal battle up until last night. Today I think I won...:)