I have recently experienced a form of aggression that I have only experienced a handful of times in business, but now I’m going to spill it. I’ve said a hundred times that kindness and love matter and that they will change the world. Well, I’m not sure that it can overcome the blatant aggressive nature of some. For whatever reason, God has placed Mike and I in the path of some very difficult customers. I was raised to believe that the customer was always right and it was my duty to treat them with respect. Recently, I have struggled to understand the mentality of Users and basic nasty humans.

It’s not a surprise to anyone living in the Heartland that times are difficult and money is hard to come by. It’s also a know fact that shit runs downhill. If you don’t pay for your goods then neither can anyone else and so on. I am a giver. Mike is a giver. We have oftentimes given credit to people who had no intention of ever paying us and they didn’t. We have given our time, love, resources and food off our table to people who intentionally stole from us. We have patiently waited while a customer racks up enormous bills and doesn’t even attempt to pay anything for literally months. We feel like it is somehow our duty to get the customer what he needs to keep his operation running smoothly. That, for us, will never change. We will continue to treat people the way we would like to be treated no matter how they repay us—kindness or terrible.

This time, however, feels a bit different. For several years we have serviced a company who has been incredibly demanding. They have run us around to pick up and deliver, we have given equipment to them to use free of charge just to keep them running, and we have taken being treated like nothing but dirt under their feet. This after of course that all costs are absorbed by us. Now I realize that “socially” I will never be as “up there” as they are, but the secret is, I don’t want to be “up” there. I refuse to compromise my integrity to pretend to be someone I am not. That’s ok. But the problem is this…. how could I provide you with everything you continued to need to continue your business and then wait six months at a time to get paid? Unfortunately I asked for payment, which I would never would receive if I didn’t. The ungrateful part is that after years of catering to the excessive ego I am now not worthy of their business. A fine how do you do for being their bank for years. I am a lot salty about this. Maybe I’m salty because they have trashed us any and every chance they get, have run our business down and have said some really unkind things. The other side of that coin is that they never seem to acknowledge that they got exactly what they needed and didn’t pay, for months no we are being chastised. Really?? You get what you want, we provide you with everything you ask for, you don’t pay, and we’re the bad guys? In actuality all this proves that people don’t respect you for treating them well when they have no intention of ever respecting you. Isn’t that the story of life?? Isn’t that the nature of unkindness and greed? I’m exhausted with this world. I’m exhausted with the nastiness that people like that propagate. I’m tired of expecting the best in people only to find out that you really mean nothing to so many.

I am going to keep moving and give that energy to someone who appreciates it. I have many customers who do appreciate us; they like to know that we will do the best we can to provide service to them and to show them that we appreciate their loyalty. I can’t fix whatever is broken in someone who really believes that they are better than another, or believes that they can hurt others with their mean words, or who have no moral compass. I can however shine light in the darkness and try to make a difference. When someone dims my light with untruth I guess I need to stop thinking I need to explain. That’s hard. For now, I will take my lumps and hope that karma is real and that God sees all.

Until then… be nice to the people who gave you a break… do the right thing… and appreciate the little things

E