To Bop or HamletHub contributor reflects: Not to Bop, That is the Dilemma

To Bop or Not to Bop, That is the Dilemma

As those who know me realize, I am all about staying as active and energetic as possible, while helping to bust those stereotypes that attempt to knock us all down – especially once our grey hair and wrinkles set in.

To this end I love hiking – and, indeed, Joe and I have made it our quest to hike in all of our country’s national parks.  We even have a map on the entrance wall to our house with little pins designating all of the parks we have visited to this point.   Last summer we were able to affix pins number thirty-nine and forty.  Eighteen to go!

When my knee doesn’t agree that hiking is the best choice for me, I take a walking stick to coax it into behaving.  (No, I don’t clobber it with the stick, but it does allow for a bit of extra stability in both ascents and descents).  Therefore, I know that I am ready, willing and able to tackle any hike, even those of moderate or strenuous designations.

One day, while in Snowmass, CO, Joe and I had spent a few days adjusting to the altitude and felt ready to tackle some challenging terrain.  And so we went to the hotel concierge to have her suggest a possible hike we might take.

There she was in her very professional looking business suit, with her very professional air of authority and knowledge, ready to whip out her trail map and help us find the best hike for that afternoon.  Ready.  Eager.  Knowledgeable.  Except she didn’t bother to ask what sort of hike we were looking for.  She noticed my grey hair (hard to miss), our obvious ages and immediately pointed out a sweet and gentle walk that would, in her words, “be perfect for you, dear.”

I was seething!

Tao somehow kept me calm.  But defiance was raring to burst forth, pushing me to grab her map, roll it into a baseball bat and bop her over the head – repeatedly – until my anger was diffused.

As I realized that this would create a disturbance possibly requiring a night in detention at the local jail – therefore seriously delaying our hiking plans – I decided to not grab her map in order to bop her on the head.  Instead I allowed Joe to accept her proffered map while I walked away to bring my emotions under control.

I must admit that whenever I saw her at her desk after that encounter, I had to fight the urge to walk up to her and explain that profiling people in this manner is not going to ever win her friends among the senior set.

But I didn’t.  And still think that perhaps I should have done so.  The incident has obviously stuck with me.  And, thus, I am writing this article – asking you how you would have dealt with this situation.  Would you have said something?  Would you have bopped her over the head with her map?  Or, as I did, would you simply have walked away?

Thanks for you input – it might help us all if/when we find ourselves in a similar situation in the future.

C.J. Golden, motivational speaker and author of TAO OF THE DEFIANT WOMAN, the award winning TAO-GIRLS RULE!, and the recently published REFLECTIONS FROM BEYOND, travels the country inspiring all with her dynamic spirit and vision. Visit her at www.taogirl.com and www.reflectionsfrombeyond.com

M
Submitted by Milford, CT

Become a Local Voice in Your Community!

HamletHub invites you to contribute stories, events, and more to keep your neighbors informed and connected.

Read Next