I do much of my writing in the most unusual places. Hotel rooms. Restaurants. At work. But I do most of my writing in a waiting room. That’s where I am now. In a waiting room…waiting for a fight.

Of course, that is not the purpose of this waiting room. I’m currently sitting in a waiting room designed to allow visitors to sit and relax and wait while others are engaged in recreation. I won’t get into specifics since none of that matters right now. And usually as I sit and wait, my mind is clear, carefree and mostly functional to the task at hand.

But that is not the case today. Today, I’m expecting a fight. Let me correct myself – make that an argument. I am, after all, a peaceful person.

Still, there comes a time when you have to right a wrong or at the very least, let the one who wronged you know that you are not taking it anymore.

This happened to me earlier in the week. Again, the specifics are not important. But I stood up for someone else who was getting wronged by the very person I’m waiting for. Someone who is close to me. Someone I love.

So I am expecting some repercussions now that I am sitting in this waiting room where my adversary is just a few short yards away from me as I write. This is his place of work, after all. If I were him, I’d say something. But I’m not him, so who knows what will come to pass.
Maybe, by the time I finish writing this, I will be able to let you know. This may not be reality TV, but it is reality writing, and there is no script. I’m winging it as I go. Honestly, I have no idea how it will turn out.

One of the benefits of aging is, you learn a lot. You learn about the world. I have made a career out of seeing some disturbing things in my life – things that most people do not see. Specifics again are not important. What IS important is I have learned much from my experiences. And every so often they come in handy.

I also made a living out of conflict resolution. Even today I frequently still provide that service for customers. I’m used to being yelled at. I’ve been cussed out, threatened and have even had to resort to self-defense on rare occasions. But I have always maintained an air of settling the dispute peacefully first.  A former boss (a one time cop) once said to me, decades ago, you can always resort to brute strength. But that should only be as a last resort. When you are young, you don’t realize wisdom when you hear it. You think to yourself, “oh yeah? Well, if so and so does such and such I’m going to let him have it.” But after many years of realizing the futility in doing that, you learn that the peaceful path is generally the road best traveled.  “Pick your battles” has always been my catch phrase.

But as you get older, you also realize that there are battles you need to choose, and when you choose them, fight them with passion, honesty and resolve.  I never, ever go looking for a
problem, but when one can no longer be avoided then it must be faced.

I have told my closest friends and family that I simply don’t care anymore. I do not care what others may think of me, or how they handle themselves. I do not care if they curse me behind my back or even to my face. I do not lose sleep if others are upset with me. I’m too old to worry about that. I have no superiors outside of my work (except for “She Who Must Be Obeyed” of course) and those whom I see as equals are never and would never do anything to intentionally perturb me.

The fact of the matter is, though, I still DO care. I care a great deal when someone I love, or someone who has perhaps not experienced life the same way that I have, is unjustly faulted. I’m old. I’ve learned. And I’ve learned that there are things worth fighting for. I will always choose the path of peace first. I can take a lot of abuse personally and come back smiling. I will forgive very easily and will also apologize when necessary.

But if I am forced down another road, a road I rarely travel, I have learned enough from experiences in my life to take it.

The argument/fight apparently will not take place. My adversary has made like Elvis and left the building. I am stuck with a feeling that things are unresolved. Maybe they are. But maybe that is for the best. Maybe what was said earlier in the week sufficed.

I hope so. Because again, I would rather travel the road of peace. Because I can always fall back onto the road less traveled.

Meet Sam