Ten-Finger Exercises

Assertiveness! Yea!

I am not naturally assertive. I sometimes wonder later, "Now why did I let that happen without saying something?" Sometimes I don't even notice later. Today I noticed.

Chad, the contractor, who was supposed to show up yesterday at noon and never did come, arrived at 6:45 a.m.! I could hardly believe it when I saw him pull up with his trailer. He sat in his car for at least five minutes, probably eating breakfast or waiting till it was nearer to seven o'clock anyway. Then he walked up, coffee cup in hand, and opened the screen door.

I opened the inner door, and he said, "I'm here to do the texturing." I said, "Not now you aren't. We're eating breakfast and will be getting showered and dressed to leave for work. You'll be in the way. You should have come yesterday at noon when you said you would."

He looked amazed and apologized but gave no ground. "When will you be back?"

I told him I could get here by noon again, if he would be here too. He agreed, apologized again, and was here waiting at ll:45.

Since one room he textured is the one where Bill keeps his clothes and dresses (Yikes! I don't mean he wears dresses!) gets dressed, and the other is the hallway between the bedroom and bathroom, he would certainly have been right in the way.

This afternoon we were both courteous to each other; and if he now thinks of me as a bitch, he didn't let on.

Tomorrow, though, he'll have someone here to begin painting the kitchen and hall at 7:30. That will work out all right, so long as we know in advance, and will actually get me to work earlier. Maybe we'll go out for breakfast.