Just got back from the laundromat. Actually today had a couple of weird minor incidents that ticked me off. First, I was getting my blood drawn at the Supermarket and afterwards I picked up a few items I needed. I walked up to the checkout guy and there was no line. Fine so far.
There was only me and him there so to put him at ease I said, “It’s quiet in here.”
And he misunderstood me and he thought I was talking about him. So he said something like, “Yeah, I’m thinking about problems today.”
Fine. No big deal. I just kind of smiled. And then out of the blue, for no discernable reason, he got angry. He said something rude. And I reacted and did something I am working on not doing anymore. I reacted like the punk I used to be when I was 17 or 18 when my friend had a low rider and we drove all over San Jose doing drugs and drinking and just having fun and later siphoning gas from strangers cards and stealing tape decks from cars. Just harmless fun. But I said some smart*ss juvenile retort back to the guy.
And then a thirty year old woman with a great behind walked by and distracted me. Anyways after she passed by I got focused again and I stood there and I waited for a sign that I should insert my debit card. For some reason, I expected a bell or a beep to go off telling me to insert my card. It took about 2 seconds before I realized there is no beep.
But I thought I would smooth over any awkwardness and I laughed politely and I explained I wasn’t ready. Then the idiot got even ruder and for a minute I wasn’t even mad. I just looked him incredulously in the eye like, “Are there actually people like you that are actually this much of a *ucking dck.”? So I was rude back and glared at the guy. I paid and then I walked out angry. It wore off in a minute and I drove to Walgreens and got some Visa gift cards for a couple of family members birthdays.
As I was driving and leaving through the parking lot I saw an older lady walking with her head down. She was so bundled up in shirts and sweaters and scarves around her neck and face and over her head that you couldn’t see her face at all and she was almost doubled over as she walked slowly and she was not even looking up or looking around. It was obvious that she had some problems. So I turned around and parked a little ways away from her and I got out and I said, “Excuse me” to her. She looked up and I handed her a $10.00 bill. She smiled and thanked me and then I left feeling much better than I did when I walked into the store a minute before.