What's My Secret?

   Last night, after working as part of the event staff for a basketball game, a co-worker came up to me and said, "You gotta tell me your secret."
   "My secret?" I asked, a bit puzzled because I have so many (ha ha!).
   "Yes!" she exclaimed.  "How do you keep that upbeat attitude going all the time?  How come you don't get frustrated?"
   "Ahhh!  THAT secret," I replied with a grin.  "I figure that I might as well keep a positive attitude going because it makes life more fun.  Being grumpy doesn't make things better, and can actually be counter-productive."  


   Working at various events, I see all types of people, most of whom are fairly happy to be there.  However, there always seems to be a few who, due to varying degrees of their frustration levels, want to tee off on somebody - the somebody usually being an easily identified event staff person.  Maintaining a calm, pleasant attitude often does help calm the patron down somewhat - sometimes to the point where they realize they are speaking to another human being and not a cog in a machine.
   I let them know that I understand they are angry, frustrated, upset, etc., but that I cannot change policies or prices.  I suggest that they go enjoy the game and perhaps call the appropriate department or vendor during business hours the next day and voice their concerns then.  Usually, that's all it takes.  They still may be unhappy, but once they've calmed down a bit, they go on to have a better time.  More often than not, the next time I see them, they've joined the ranks of those who are happy to be there.  Heck, some of them will come over to me with a smile to chat about little things like the weather or how crazy the pre-game traffic was.
   Yep, my positive attitude secret does have some good things going for it.  And life certainly is more fun that way.