Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Rage.




Dear lady in the powder blue minivan in the parking lot of Trader Joes,

You had better watch your back. And your front because I might just jack you in the face, I am no coward. I have a question for you.. who do you think you are? You who had no children with her as she sauntered out to her minivan this afternoon with one bag in her hand. Did you not see that I was jugggling twins and TWO shopping carts full of food?? Maybe you didn't see that kind person who had to help me out to my car with everything because I had my hands so full. I am sure you didn't know that I had just finished shoe shopping for the little people in my care at Target and after that adventure had successfully gathered enough groceries to feed our family plus another this weekend .. groceries for our trip to Boone. How could you have known that I was clinging to sanity with every last fiber of my being? There is no way you could have known all that..and even if you had.. why should you care? You shouldn't. I get that I really do. This is the part that confuses me. You most certainly DID see me trying to fasten my toddler's car seat buckles when you activated your automatic door from across the parking lot.. scaring me out of my skin.. I know you saw that I was struggling to get my child secured before I shut the door of my car. The scowl on your face as you marched over to your vehicle startled me so badly that I stumbled backwards out of your way with a huge grin plastered on my face stammering apologies .. and in doing so... brushed your minivan with my COTTON shoulder bag.. you continued to scowl and pushed your way into the space I was rushing to vacate.. calmly put your bag into the back of your vehicle and then you stooped to examine the spot where my bag had brushed your minivan.. you shook your head and got in the driver side and slammed the door.. this is where I am confused.. did you really think that my cotton shoulder bag scratched your car?!?!?!??!? Really?!?! I have to say I really wanted you to make eye contact with me after that I really did.. but you just looked away and drove off.. I am writing this now to let you know that you ignited a flame of rage in my chest that took me an hour to extinguish. You were the straw that broke the camel's back today. You have a lot of nerve. I am ashamed of myself for letting you get to me that badly.. but you did. I sure hope whatever had you in such a mood got resolved. I really really hope I don't see you in that parking lot again.. in fact.. I will make sure not to park next to pale blue minivans from now on.

4 comments:

Summer said...

Oh Sarah, I'm sorry. What makes people act like that? I'm not convinced there's any excuse. I recently had my first post-move-to-Oregon encounter with a rude person, and it literally took my breath away.

BTW, I'm always that falling-all-over-myself-to-apologize person who regrets it later too. To try to be gracious and then have it thrown back in your face is maddening. Hugs to you.

Wendy's World said...

Okay, then the three of us have something in common. I, too, will go out of my way NOT to inconvenience someone, only to have them act all put out/pissy/rude and it infuriates me. I end up saying (under my breath), "thank you, that was so nice of you" and then stew on it for the next couple of hours. Sorry, Sarah! If I ever run into you in the parking lot of Trader Joes, I promise not to act like an ass :-)

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T. M. Kester said...

HAHA!! The way you wrote that story made my day. It's SO true! I love the blue mini van threat at the end. LOL. I had a moment just like this over the weekend in MD. I went to a grocery store to get some things and this guy honks at Immanuel for stopping to let me out- completely out of the way from anyone, so I get out of the car ( me and my gracious self) and yell, "Really?! Maybe you should spend some time in the SOUTH and get some MANNERS!!!". To make it worse, I said thank you to the bagger in the check out isle and he didn't even LOOK at me. I left shaking, I was so mad. Way to keep your cool. It's better than I can do!