Thank You For Being So Patient

All of this talk about getting caught doing something wrong and running my mouth before my brain has been engaged and imagining the worst in everything reminds me of a story I heard early in my sobriety.

A woman with some clean time ordered cosmetics over the phone.  The package came nicely - the contents, alas, were incorrect.  She contacted the offending company and was given a hale and hearty apology with a promise to ship out the right stuff.  A few days later a package arrives and my friend was outraged beyond belief to find that the contents were still, alas, incorrect.  She calls the company back and isn't so nice this time.  She lights into the customer service rep with the full fury of someone who has had to make due with a decided lack of proper cosmetics.  Eventually, her ire is expended and she pauses to catch her breath.

"Ma'am," the rep says.  "Your corrected order is on the way - the package you just received was a Thank You For Being So Patient gift from the company."

Yes.  Keeping the mouth shut is always a good policy.