How Hard is The Golden Rule?

2 weeks ago, I had 1 of the worst days in a long time. I had an altercation with a student, was really disappointed in how I handled it and cried most of the day. I got in my car & turned on a talk-radio show that is a favorite and that I listen to everyday.

I turned on The Dave Ramsey Show. It was the middle of the show and I turned it at the end of 1 of his rants (which anyone who has listened to Dave Ramsey knows that he has a lot of them). When I turned on his show, this is what I heard:

"...just follow The Golden Rule. Treat others how you want to be treated. How hard is that? Sheesh."

I broke down in tears again and couldn't even drive. I started thinking; 'Ya know, the golden rule can be really hard to follow; INCREDIBLY hard to follow.'

Every Tuesday I offer a free class to new staff. This class is required by the state  I offer it for free in order to make it easier for new staff to meet state requirements. The day started out as horrible as it could have. My 3 year old needed to behave for an interview at the private school we wanted him to go to. He was as awful as he could have possibly been. While at the school, a close friend of mine passed out at the copy machine & I stayed with her until the paramedics & her husband arrived (at the same time). While my husband was driving out of the school parking lot, he blew a tire & went to the nearest Les Schwab only to find we needed to replace all 4 tires. All this drama made it so that I got to my classroom 5 minutes before the class was due to start. I need at least 15 minutes to set up equipment.

I was met at the door pulling my awful-acting (who I love) 3 year old through the door and carrying 6 bags. This caregiver with a very snotty attitude met me right at the door. I didn't explain my whole morning to her because it wasn't her problem or he business. I apologized and asked her for 10 minutes and offered her coffee. She accepted. I pointed her to where the coffee was. She stared at me like I was a goat & asked where the class was. I told her & she asked if she could go up. I explained that I had just walked through the door and the class was locked & went up to my classroom.

I went up & set up, but was giving into the rushed feeling. Another staff member showed up & this 1 caregiver came up. This class requires the staff to bring a self-study workbook to the class. I asked the 1st staff member if she had brought it with her. She did, but it was incomplete. She asked if she could just sit & complete it in the room. I agreed. I asked this caregiver for her book. I again got the goat look. She said that she did not have it. I told her she couldn't complete the class. We started baiting back & forth. As her attitude escalated, so did mine. I told her that I was going to have to let her administrator know. She was mad that she wasn't given the instructions she needed. It ended with her asking me why I had such an attitude and me telling her it was because she was acting like a b****. She left & I was so grateful.

I have completely changed how I do this class to try & avoid this kind of confrontation again. All the way from avoiding appointments on class days to changing the books to reading 5 books so far on marketing and customer service.

This still leads me to question "How easy is The Golden Rule?" I went on vacation & felt so much better when I came back and rejuvinated when I got back. I did need to change a time of a class. I showed up at the facility with flowers and a good attitude and was met by a receptionist that didn't say hello, refused to take my message (she kept interupting me and thought I was trying to sell something--- I had to write my own message). She refused to take my flowers, I kinda just left them.

This was a situation where I have absolutely no regrets. I'm actually a bit flabergasted by the treatment I received by a receptionist who is supposed to have the greatest customer service. It was really really difficult to keep my smile plastered and restart my sentences every time I was interrupted and then try to apologize when she told me that I was really confusing her. I probably would have been very clear to her if she would have given me 10 seconds to explain why I was there. It took physical restraint and deep breaths to treat her how I would have wanted to be treated because I was not getting the treatment I wanted at all.

What do you think? Is the Golden Rule really so easy to follow?