Today, while at the store (a store I am heartily annoyed at, starting with nobody around to help, moving on to poorly stocked shelves, and ending with inaccurately labeled prices), I turned down an aisle only to be blocked by an older couple. He was on the left side of the aisle with the cart, she on the right side looking at products. There was enough room between them to manuever a cart, so with a polite "Excuse me", I began doing so.
As I passed behind the lady, she took a step backwards without looking, and we bumped into each other. I said, "Oh, I'm so sorry, excuse me," as I kept moving (to get out of her way). She said, in a tone I read as passive-aggressively sweet, "Sorry, I don't have eyes in the back of my head, you know."
Maybe it was the tone, maybe it was the two massive meltdowns* my 6-year-old had had before we even left the house, maybe it was just pregnancy hormones, but I just wanted to cry. She didn't have to be mean, did she? She was the one blocking most of the aisle, she was the one who stepped backwards without looking, right? Without looking back, we pushed on to the end of the aisle, where my three-year-old said, "You sad, Mommy?"
It has taken me most of the rest of the day to put the entire, stupid, petty situation into perspective. Obviously, it doesn't matter. And I don't think I usually overreact to things like that, so I'm probably just tired. But, still, it bothers me, like a little thorn from a sticker bush. Silly.
*Zee has been having massive meltdowns for the last week or so. I hope it is just because of the changes of school ending and summer beginning. Otherwise I fear this new stage. Freaking out because I would only let him take one book instead of two into the car?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Awwww....so sorry you had it rough today. Maybe it is the hormones, the melt-downs of Zee, etc., but, I would have been upset by this too, and I DON'T have the pregnancy hormones. I think that we assume that people are as nice/considerate as we are and when they react so negatively (and down right rude) it is disheartening! ; ) I hope you recover and keep being nice dispite others' rudeness/lack of manners.
ReplyDeleteAwww, thanks, Cynthia. Now that hours and hours have passed, I feel a little silly that I got so worked up about this. But I think you are right about how disheartening it can be--generally people really are nice. Usually!
ReplyDelete