Judgment

Judgment

“Do not judge another, let go of all criticism and judgment. By doing this you will move forward in spirit and move forward in vibration.” ~ Maitreya

Recently I made a quick stop at a Dollar Store to pick up a few small items. It ended up being not so quick and what I took from the experience was not so small.

There was no lineup at the cashiers. I paid cash, thinking how lucky I was to be in and out of this place in no time. And then…the young cashier closed the cash drawer without giving me my change of 65 cents. “Oops!” she said. “You’ll have to wait now until the next transaction for me to give you your change.”

I stood to the side and waited patiently. The next person in line came to the cashier and paid cash. The efficient cashier took the money, reached in the drawer for change and slammed it shut. As I reached my hand out, her face scrunched up with remorse. “I’m sorry. I forgot!” she said as she handed the gentleman his change.

By now, there was a long lineup at the check out. The next person paid for their merchandise (a very large order of office supplies) with a credit card. Modern technology has great value…but also some aggravating issues. The cash register setup at this store does not allow the cashier to open the cash drawer unless there is a cash transaction.

The next three orders were paid for using debit cards. And you guessed it…the cash drawer does not open for debit card transactions either.

I stood silently through this, mulling things over in my mind. It’s only 65 cents. Maybe I should just leave. But that was my money, and there is value in it and if everyone left little bits like this it just isn’t fair! I would rather give the money to the homeless man sitting outside the door collecting change in a paper cup. Besides, it is important that I speak up for myself (more lessons on feeling worthy and visible).

And so I stepped forward as the next person came to the cashier and asked, “Is there any way that you can open the till and get my money?”

“No. Sorry.” The cashier truly looked apologetic. “I know. It’s crazy.”

“Can you call a manager to do it then?” I asked, feeling a bit frustrated.

“I’ll just wait a bit,” she said.

So I stepped back again, allowing a seemingly peaceful woman to put her items on the counter. As the cashier checked her items, she looked at me with a smile and said, “You know being impatient never helps a situation.”

“Pardon me?” I asked, not really sure that I was hearing right in my cloud of frustration.

She repeated, loudly this time. “Being impatient never helps a situation.”

And out of my mouth, quietly came the words, “And being judgmental does not help a situation either.”

“What?” she asked.

It was my turn to repeat, this time in a firm convincing voice. “Being judgmental does not help a situation.”

The women paid, with a debit card, babbled on about knowing what it was like to be a cashier and how bad she felt for her and left. The cashier reached for the microphone and paged a manager.

Wonder of wonders, before the manager arrived the next person paid cash! The drawer opened and the cashier handed me my 65 cents first. “Thank you. I hope that I have not been overbearing and awful to deal with.”

“Not at all,” she said. “You have been much more patient than most. I really don’t like this system. Have a nice day.”

This incident was another great lesson for me, and I was surprised by the quickness and calmness of my response. For the last several years, situations of judgment have appeared over and over, mirrored frequently and often painfully. Because of this, I try so hard not to be judgmental that I often feel slighted and hurt when I sense that someone is judging me. There is so much to learn here. As I have gained awareness of my own judgment issues, I see the larger issues of judgment in our society. With such a variety of beliefs and polarized views, judging others as wrong is often the easiest way. I must accept that someone feels a certain way, even if I don’t like it. I must speak my truth, “quietly and clearly with love” as the Master Maitreya says, expecting their acceptance as well. Whether or not they choose to accept my truths is their choice. I am learning to seek balance and put that energy forth into the universe. Easy? NO! I want so much to see and feel peace always, within and around. But I can only do that with my own being, one crazy incident at a time, learning and learning, trusting, raising my vibration as I move along this life path, perhaps mirroring for another.