The Price of Power

I am a terrible person.

Eric and I received callings today, Primary teachers to the 8 year olds.  It will be fun and I'm pretty excited.  The calling was going to be announced during Sacrament Meeting today and we were running late.  Of course.  When something important is set to happen of course you will run late.

So we pulled in to the parking lot, jumped out of the car and walked as quickly as possible without looking ridiculous.  Our progress was slowed by an elderly woman wearing high heels.  Not just a few inches but 4 or 5 inch heels.  They were intense. 

She was walking slowly in the middle of the sidewalk and there was no getting around her.  So Eric and I slowed down and walked behind her.  The entire time I was following her I was thinking to myself, "High heels are the stupidest thing in the world.  There is no reason for her to be wearing these monsters.  Oh my gosh! Hurry up! We're running late and they are going to announce that we are the new primary teachers and we will sure look dumb walking in right then... Stupid high heels! Stupid old lady! She can't even walk in those stupid things." As that was all going through my mind we reached the stairs up to the door.  I thought, "Finally!" and then the woman fell.  And it wasn't like a little stumble.  No, she fell. Hard.  As Eric and I helped her up and helped her pick her books and glasses up, instantly I felt terrible.  Like I had caused her to fall with my mean thoughts about how stupid her shoes were and how she couldn't even walk in them and I can't believe she was doing this to me and how I was going to be late.

I jumped to the two logical conclusions.  I'm either psychic or we were rushing her by walking behind her.  I'm leaning toward the former.  At any rate, I feel terrible, one, because my abilities caused a frail looking woman in treacherously high heels, who was only trying to look pretty for church, to fall, and two because it really wasn't her fault that Eric and I were running late and that I was frustrated.  I still feel bad about it all and it has been hours.  Even though I didn't know that I was psychic and could make her fall just with mere thoughts the price of power is responsibility and I will keep my mean thoughts to a minimum because, who really deserves the consequences of all of the mean things I think? No one, that's who.