Storage Wars

What would you have said/done? 💬🎱

My visit to the storage unit goes awry.

I have placed all of my and Conner's belongings in three storage units, and I went to put some more items in one of the units. 💔💔

Seems like such an innocuous task, but alas... no.

When I first arrived, I was asking the young woman at the desk about combining what I have (in the two units) into one unit, availability, pricing, etc.

Pricing was outrageous, and I declined. (or so I thought). ⚠️

Once I thought we had squared away the fact that I wouldn't be moving the items, I asked for her to please mark on the map where my two units are, so that I could place some items inside. 📝

[miscommunication and rudeness ensued]

She opened a large binder and proceeded to say, "I have one bigger unit available on the third floor..."

I stopped her and said, "Oh. I'm sorry. I don't think I was communicating clearly. I just need to know the numbers and locations of my units, so I can put some things inside."

[slamming the binder down on the desk]

"OH. You. Want. To. Know. Where. YOUR. Units. Are?" ⁉️

I verbally acknowledged her frustration (trying to lighten the mood, somehow), but she insisted she was not frustrated.

Not frustrated, as she AGGRESSIVELY RIPPED a map of the facility off of the large printed pad of maps. ⁉️

Not frustrated, as she quickly jerked a highlighter out of its stand.

Not frustrated, as she marked my two units with the highlighter and RUDELY SHOVED the map into my hands. ⁉️

Not frustrated, when she could clearly see (and hear) that I would likely need help finding these units but refused, saying "It's just the first building on the right, and you walk in the front door." [said in a 'are you a fucking idiot?' tone]⁉️

Well, just for the record, my friends: I AM "an idiot" when it comes to spatial intelligence, but that doesn't mean she had to acknowledge it. 😂🤣

I am basically illiterate when it some to matters of space, direction and anything related. And you know these storage facilities can be like a maze of torturous corridors. I'm a writer, people not a cartographer!

I digress.

I took the map.
Walk out the door.
Got back in my car.
And cried. 😭

After a phone call with PC, I composed myself and went to the unit. Well, it wasn't quite that easy because I'm an idiot when it comes to map-reading, maze-walking and the like. So, I'm sure that girl was having a blast watching me as I walked from corridor to corridor searching for my storage unit. 🤬

Found.✔️
Unlocked. 🔐
Opened. 🚪🧐🔍

I was hit with a barrage of memories, artifact, emotions. 🧸🖼

One of the first things I saw -- which I forgot was in there, was a laundry basket of my son's dirty clothes, still (and forever) waiting to be washed. 👔👖👕🧦😭😭

I sobbed as I buried by face in the clothes, desperately breathing in the sweet smells of my son. 😭

I sobbed as I picked up the suit jacket he wore to prom. 😭

I sobbed as I looked through his books:📚📖

_OpenShift for Developers_
_Consider the Lobster_ David Foster Wallace (RIP)
_Harry Potter_
and the list goes on...😭

I sobbed as I saw his handwriting in is Japanese language workbook ☯️㊗ 🈶 🈯 🈳️
As I thumbed through his violin music book🎻🎼
and as I picked up his Sound Board 🎹

I was now super pissed at the way I was treated. (after all I need someone to be angry with, right?)🎯

I decided this was a moment I was going to go back and say something to her. 👩‍🏫 #teachable #moments

I thought, 'she and the others like her are the reason I do the work that I do. Writing, guiding, speaking on grief and loss. Writing, guiding and speaking on how to support the bereaved. 🎤🥺🔑📚🔒

As I buried my face in my son's clothes once more, before closing that door and locking it again, I made the decision to go back and speak my piece to this young woman. 🎯

💭 What would you have said/done? 🎱

[part two coming soon] ⌨️💻

❤️❤️💜