The King of Confrontation

       

         "So I said:  'To hell with you!"  

        

         I lost the whole gist of Michael's story after this comment.  

         "Wait. You said 'To hell with you!’ to the mechanic”? 

         "Yeah.  Don't you think he deserved it?"  Michael seemed to think I hadn't listened to all the details of how dishonest the mechanic had been, and how the dealership was giving him the run-around.

         I heard.  But Michael letting someone have it was a hard thing to take in.

        Michael enjoys confrontation in about the same way a fish enjoys a marathon through the desert. 

         It's not that he doesn't have opinions.  Believe me, he does.  It's not that he's not willing to stand up for his beliefs.  Believe me he is. 

         It's more that he is very good at focusing on the outcome of a situation.  (Unlike me, who'll vent my feelings now, and regret it later.)   Michael tends to methodically work to sway the other person to seeing things his way.  

        He's also, at heart, a very peace-loving kind of guy.  He gives people the benefit of the doubt.  He avoids taking things too personally, and he almost always keeps his cool in tough situations.

         In all the years we've been together I've never really seen him be rude to anyone.

                "This guy must have really gotten you riled up for you to say something like that to him."

                "Well, maybe not right to him." 

                "Like...you said it as you were driving away?"

                "Yeah."

        Now it started making more sense.

                "So...could he, actually, hear you?"

                "Well, probably not."

                "Because you were too far away."
                
                "Yeah.  And because the window was rolled up."

         I nearly fall off my chair laughing.  

                "Oh, now I'm getting the picture.  You told him off...from a distance."

                "Yeah."

                "That's awesome!  You really gave him what for!"

                "Yeah, I did, didn't I?"

---

        Here's the one other time I know of where Michael actually showed his anger to a stranger:

        He was on a phone call with one of those "customer service" representatives.  You know the ones who a) don't know you're the customer, and b) don't know they're supposed to be providing a service.  The kind that make you want to pull your hair out.

        Michael explained his problem and asked that it be fixed.  The guy on the phone kept telling Michael that it was his company's policy to be lame idiots.  (I am paraphrasing.) 

         In spite of his best efforts, Michael was unable to change the guy’s position, and finally gave up in frustration. 

        Immediately after hanging up, his phone buzzed with a text:  We'd love your feedback!  How was your experience?"

         Michael texted back:  "It sucks."

         They texted:  "I'm sorry you were not pleased, how could we improve our service?"

         Michael responded that their service would improve if they removed their heads from their posteriors, and then suggested that they should try having intimate relations with themselves.  (Again, I am paraphrasing.)

         "Take that!" Michael said.

         "Wow.  You just told off a robot."

         "Yes I did!"  He looks pretty pleased with himself.

                                                                                     ---

                 Which goes to show you:  even peace-loving fellows have their limits.