Keeping your mouth shut!

Working with the public offers numerous opportunities to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Some instances are provoked by rude comments or nasty behavior. Others are merely things said that are taken the wrong way. Sometimes you can soothe the situation with apologies or explanations. Sometimes you just have to admit you are wrong. Yesterday was one of the times I was in the wrong.

An 8 year old girl was looking over my jewelry display and she saw a necklace priced at $25.00. She exclaimed loudly and with disdain, "Twenty-five dollars!" I asked her how long did she think it took me to make the necklace. I told her that the 10 hours it takes to create a cabochon was well worth $25. The girl was hurt by my response and went cowering into her mothers fold.

Rightfully, the mother returned with out her child and berated me for chastising her young daughter, continually reminding me she was only 8 years old. I was stubborn and rude and refused to apologize, even though the woman never asked that of me.

I wish I could apologize to them. The mom said I was insecure. I think she was right. I was wrong. In retrospect, I should have made a joke of the child's response, or just kept my mouth shut.

Even at 52, a person has lessons to learn.