Karl’s company is about to reach new heights, which only reinforces his growing arrogance. However, after mistreating a flight attendant on his flight to a life-changing meeting, Karl is finally humiliated.
Karl was a middle-aged man well on his way to the big leagues. His company was about to become a subsidiary of a large multinational.
Karl came from humble beginnings and had worked his whole life to finally get to this point in his career. He was about to travel to Chicago to sign his contract, and he was ecstatic.
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Karl had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and he was determined to enjoy it as much as he could. He bought himself a first-class ticket to celebrate his new adventure.
His newfound success was beginning to go to his head, and Karl became a little reckless with his behavior and the way he treated people. Sitting in his first-class seat, he pompously gazed out at the scenery around him. It was the first time he had ever traveled in first class.
“This is going to be a big celebration,” she told the man sitting next to her.
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“Oh yeah? What are we celebrating?” the man asked.
“I’m on my way to Chicago to sign the contract of a lifetime. This is definitely a champagne moment,” a joyful Karl explained.
“Wow! That’s great. I’m happy for you,” the man said.
“What is this? What audacity! It takes you thirty minutes to bring me my champagne, and it’s warm!? Are you serious?”
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“Hey! A cold bottle of your best champagne!” Karl barked at the stewardess, snapping his fingers rather roughly.
“No problem, sir. I’ll get back to you right away,” the flight attendant replied kindly.
Thirty minutes passed, and Karl was getting nervous because he still hadn’t received his order. Finally the hostess arrived with Karl’s champagne, and he was not at all happy.
“So? What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for half an hour,” Karl barked at the flight attendant.
“I’m very sorry, sir. I had to take care of something in economy class,” the flight attendant replied calmly.
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“What is this? What audacity! It takes you thirty minutes to bring me my champagne, and it’s warm!? Are you serious?” Karl snapped, pushing the champagne bottle to the floor.
“I’m sorry, sir! It’s just that…” the flight attendant began nervously, before being interrupted by an even more agitated Karl.
“Stop making excuses! Do your job! I’m your boss! Do you understand?” Karl barked, while the rest of the passengers watched his spectacle.
As he lashed out at the stewardess, who was trying her best to hold back her tears, an elderly woman, Anna, entered the first-class compartment. Karl was astonished to see the CEO of the very company he was about to sign up for. Anna walked straight to the stewardess and greeted her cordially.
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“Thank you for what you’ve done for me,” Anna said.
“You’re welcome. It was a pleasure,” said the flight attendant, faking a smile as she wiped away her tears.
“Why are you crying?” Anna asked, worried. Karl shifted uncomfortably to the side as the stewardess turned to look at him, and Anna followed suit.
“Well, I think you should apologize to this young lady.”
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“Uhm… I just… I just had a little disagreement with this gentleman here. That’s all,” the flight attendant said, doing her best to hide her pain and frustration.
“Karl? What are the chances that we’re on the same flight?” Anna said, surprised to see Karl and curious to know what role he played in the flight attendant’s sudden sadness.
“Uhm… Anna, yes, it’s a surprise to see you here. Why are you in economy class?” Karl asked hesitantly.
“Well, I save up money to donate to charities and other worthwhile causes. What about you? Why are you making this woman’s job harder than it needs to be? I heard you from my section,” Anna said.
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“Uhm… No, it’s just that it took forever to bring me the champagne, and it was warm when it arrived. Bad service,” Karl said, remaining arrogant.
“Well, I think you should apologize to this young lady. While you were waiting for your champagne, I had an asthma attack, and she was kind enough to drop everything and tend to me. She saved my life,” Anna explained to Karl with firmness and conviction.
“Did he save you?” Karl asked confused.
“Yes, that’s what held back your champagne. Sorry about that. But don’t be so hasty as to call people out for doing their jobs when you don’t understand the full scope of things. Take this as advice from someone who would have been your boss,” Anna said.
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“Uhm… ‘Would’ there be, ma’am?” Karl asked nervously.
“Karl… I have a lot of money, but what would I do with it if my life was in the stewardess’s hands today? Never put yourself above others. You might need their help. Anyway, we will conclude this conversation in Chicago,” Anna said coldly before turning to the stewardess with a smile. “And thank you again, dear.”
“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have treated you like that,” Karl said to the flight attendant.
“It’s nothing,” she replied.
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Anna emerged from the first class section, leaving Karl completely perplexed. Karl became nervous about his contract when the flight finally landed in Chicago.
As fate would have it, Anna backed out of her offer to Karl’s company, and the deal never came to fruition.
What can we learn from this story?
- Never put yourself above others. Karl’s arrogance made him treat people badly, but in the end it turned against him.
- Kindness goes a long way. The flight attendant dropped everything to help Anna, and her kindness made Anna come to her defense later when Karl was mistreating her.
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If you liked this story, you might like this one about a manager who fired a janitor, not knowing that the next day he would become his boss.
This piece is inspired by everyday life stories from our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to real names or places is purely coincidental. All images are for illustrative purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you want to share your story, send it to us at info@amomama.com .
