Copyright: bowie15 / 123RF Stock Photo
I'll bet a lot of you are wondering what the word "hangry" means. Well, in the Urban Dictionary it is defined as:
Hangry
"When you are so hungry that your lack of food causes you to become angry, frustrated or both."
I was reminded of that term today, because I was starving and I was reading through an email from a colleague who I work with on occasion. I was not going to be able to attend a conference and he sent an email to our account contacts stating he would attend in my place, but he referred to me as "your regular business consultant". I was hungry, and basically pissed off that he referred to me as "your regular business consultant". Why didn't he refer to me by name or thank me for the opportunity. I was fuming and yet wondering "Why am I so upset"? He'd been gracious and especially grateful when I'd spoken to him over the phone, but just because he didn't refer to me directly in the email, I was swearing like a victim of Tourette Syndrome.
I was very, very, very, "hangry".
I picked up my iPhone to call him and curse his good name I was so mad. In fact, I was even practicing saying things to myself in the car, like a crazy person, before I called him.
"Listen you mother f#$king jerk! I throw you a bone and your sorry a$$ doesn't even say thank you!"
"I just read your email to MY CONTACTS and I have two words for you....DEAD MAN."
"If you don't rewrite that email you just sent out, I'll tell all your customers you're a furry."
"Regular business consultant? I'm a helluva lot better consultant than you are, you stupid a-hole"
My mind was just seething with rage, and I was swearing like a mental patient in the car. I saw a fast food place and pulled into the drive through because it was empty and I was famished. Still feeling angry I placed an order for something horrible unhealthy but at that point I didn't care. I got the order, took a few bites of a burger while I was driving and still swearing. Yes that's right, swearing to myself like a drunken sailor, and eating food like I had the marijuana munchies! I think pieces of food were even falling out of my mouth. As I was finishing the burger, I started to feel much better and got ready to call my fellow consultant back. I was going to belittle him and give him a piece of my mind. But suddenly, I wasn't feeling that horrible hatred towards him anymore.
As I was dialing the phone, I noticed he was actually calling me. I answered the phone immediately.
"Hi there! I was just about to call you.", I said.
"Was it about the email?"
" Well yes. It was."
" Yeah sorry about that, I didn't refer to you by name. I was at the airport and we were boarding and I didn't want to misspell your name or anything and be even more embarrassed so I just went with the business consultant thing. I'll send a proper email later."
" Yeah, I was wondering why you didn't mention my name."
" Just being too cautious. I really want to thank you for the opportunity and I appreciate you letting me fill in. I think I'll meet some good contacts at this conference."
" You're welcome. Best of luck and let me know how it goes."
" Will do thanks again."
We both hung up and I wondered what would have happened if he had called me thirty minutes earlier, when I was "hangry". The conversation might have been vastly different.
I will make sure in the future I never make a decision when I'm tired, sick, or especially "hangry".
A man's got to know his limitations...
