Today I had a moment. Well, a lot of moments actually. It's kind of a long story, but I think the story is what kinda gets you thinking, so bear with me. There's a point....promise.
I woke up to my alarm for the gym, noticed I got a text and it was saying that someone scored the new mini Nintendo just after midnight. I sat up in my bed and panicked. I didn't realize it was released at midnight, I thought I had all day today to snag one!
A few months ago, I came up with this Nintendo as a gift for Cory for Christmas. Cory was a minimalist before it was cool. Which makes birthdays and Christmas harder than a Rubik's cube. That's probably not an exaggeration, I honestly probably could solve a Rubik's cube before I could think of a gift for Cory. He's that tough. He never wants anything, and when he does want something, we are fortunate enough to be able to just get whatever it is. (It's usually always something small and simple, like a video game.)
So you can imagine how stoked I was to find out about this little Nintendo. It's inexpensive, small, and the games are all on it..so I don't even have to buy games! That's a minimalist's dream!!
So at 530 this morning, the panic set in. I quickly start searching online, but it's not sold anywhere online, only in stores. The Target by me said they won't carry it. The Targets in nearby cities say there are some in stock! But can I manage two toddlers to snag one?? Tough to say. So I check eBay. Of course there are already countless sellers that somehow scored half a dozen of them and are selling them now for 5x's the price. EYE ROLLLLLL.
Go to the gym, still thinking about it. What's my play? How do I get one?
I get home and talk to Cory about it. I ask Cory and he of course says "I wouldn't worry about it babe, I don't need it" Because he honestly just doesn't care. But I need a gift for him, right??!
I keep looking into it, because I am crazy and what's this?!?! The target by me is about to open and they have some??! EEEEP! I plop some shoes on my kids who are still in their pajamas and hustle out of the door. No time to grab myself a jacket, this is an emergency!! (if this is making you cringe yet, it should be!) I buckle the kids in...throw the car into drive and go....almost running into the storage units in the garage... it was a close one. Whoops, so I throw it into REVERSE and back out of the driveway. Off to Target with my kids covered in their breakfast!
I am checking my phone again at a stoplight. Crap. The Target by me now says it's sold out. So I am still on track to get to the next city, and figure, why not. My kids are already loaded up, I am going to get one of these dang things.
Car accident. I think a pretty bad one. There are cops and tow trucks blocking the road. We were at a complete standstill. The panic sets in. You know that nervous sweat?! Yeah. Freaking out. I am not going to make it in time to get one! (nevermind worrying about the people in the wreck, right?! CRINGEEEEE) I check my phone again and guess what...that store says it's sold out now too. BLEH!
So I get on the exit and head east to check a Target that says it's still in stock. Their phone won't work, but I keep calling, hoping someone can tell me if I am wasting my time on driving out there or not, but I can't get through. I make it there. Pull my kids out and do a mom-jog into the Target. I ask the first employee I see if there are still any, he says "No, we sold out when we opened this morning" (Which btw was 22 minutes before I got there) And I said "Your site says there are still some here" and I have a hint of an attitude. He said something about the website not updating fast enough yet, I can't be sure since I was already kind of walking away with all of my attitude with me.
HOW DARE TARGET. Ya know?? HOW DARE THEY HAVE ME DRIVE TO ANOTHER TOWN TO GET A VIDEO GAME?!?!
As I am walking to my car, I imagine complaining to Target. If they had just answered the phone, I wouldn't have gone all the way to another town. If they had just had a better system, I would have known it was sold out and not wasted so much of my morning on this.
I see a line in front of the Game Stop next door to the Target. People sitting in lawn chairs, waiting for the store to open to snag one.
I put the kids in the car and head all the way home. Messaging Cory, telling him how absolutely mad I am.
And it hit me. Like a truck. A truck full of Nintendos. Nintendos? Nintendi? What's the plural for Nintendo?
Anyway. I am driving home, with all of my sass. And I start thinking about how I acted. How I wasn't my usual "please and thank you" self that I usually am to retail people that take the time to answer my questions. I had an attitude with another human being simply because his store didn't have enough video games in stock for me? Did I really do that?
C R I N G E
All the cringe.
I wasn't worried about that guy's feelings. I wasn't worried about the person in a wreck on the highway. I had complete tunnel vision. Over a game. A GAAAAAAAME.
There are people in the world that today woke up wondering if they would find food...clean water...shelter. And here I am, being an entitled little brat because I didn't get a gaming console today. There are people who put their kids on little rickety boats to cross seas, to find safety for their family. And here in America, we camp out outside of a store to be the first person to have some hot new item.
How lucky am I that I was born in America? I woke up today and the only thing I worried about was this game. I walked to my kitchen and poured myself some cold, clean water. I ate breakfast and even had multiple choices. I drank a coffee that costs more money than what some people make in a day in some parts of the world. And I just became absolutely disgusted by it.
I'm not saying that wanting things is bad. It's easy to want things. But my hope is that maybe if we take a step back, and look at our lives. Take a minute to feel grateful that we have clean water running out of our faucets, then maybe things like not getting a Nintendo wouldn't put us in such a bad mood?
I am honestly a little ashamed of myself today. I really forgot about the big picture for a few hours.
PS: I am not saying that if you stand in line for something that you really want, that I am judging you. I am not. We all have our things. You might judge me for what I do in my free time (I listen to podcasts like a complete nerd...and that may not be your thing, so I can't judge you for your thing)
But I realized that I was not kind to others today, because I was being a brat. And I really hope that this post can be a reminder to you if you find yourself frustrated like this...that there is a bigger picture and that trivial things should never make us be unkind to a fellow human. That we are lucky to be here, that even if we don't have much, we are lucky for what we do have.
If you had a clean glass of water today. If you slept under a roof. If you ate a meal. You are a lucky one.
Here is a link to a non-profit that you can donate to the people who do live on less than a dollar a day. http://livingonone.org/donate/
Now if you'll excuse me...I need to have several seats.
