Hey everyone! Cool weather showed up as the leaves fell. My allergies seized the opportunity to make me miserable. Also, 6 foster kittens fill our foster room currently. They have turned out to be a big challenge. I find myself spending far more time than is typical to care for this group. Because of my squishy face and the sick fur babies, my writing time suffers. The post this week comes from March of 2017. I still find it funny, so I decided to share it with you. I have never been accused of having a magnetic personality, but this story caused me to wonder if maybe my magnetism is a bit more literal.
Magnetic personality? I think not. Magnetic person, maybe. What am I talking about? Good question.
A disturbing thing happened in WalMart. I completed my shopping and chose the checkout line most likely to move the quickest. Shortly after arriving in said line, I felt a cart press and rest against my backside. The action felt intentional.
Was I being punked by someone I know? My initial thought leaned in that direction. Wanting to appear cool and not make a scene, I scooted myself forward to separate the cart from my posterior. As I scooted, I turned around to see the face of an absolute stranger at the helm of the invading cart. Deciding it was an accident, I went back to scanning all the forbidden candy and treats enrobing the lane. But in short order the cart rested again against my backside.
Really, though, am I being punked? As I scooted once more to dislodge the cart, I looked around for any guilty parties lurking. My efforts were fruitless. I saw no malevolent friends waiting to be discovered. The cart once again returned with ease to its intended target. I turned around to get a better sense of the person behind me. I saw an older woman, average in every way. Moreover, she seemed oblivious to the predicament she was putting me in. Her cart wasn’t full. She had to have known what she was doing. I stood completely at a loss for what to do.
As a generally peaceful and patient person, I chose to dance my way through the wait. Shift, dislodge, return…shift, dislodge, return, etc. Gratefully, my lane choice proved to be a good one. I didn’t wait very long. But, OH PEOPLE, the wait was awkward!!! She literally pushed me through the line. Her cart even rested against my hip as I turned to pay. At no point did she register any understanding or remorse for her truly odd behavior.
Thankfully, I find the event funny. It was, however, traumatic on some level. I have no real explanation for why that happened to me. My mind goes back to that mildly disturbing event every single time I wait in a checkout line.
So as the holidays approach, be mindful of your cart both literally and figuratively. We cart around so much on a daily basis. Sometimes we remain oblivious to how it rests on others.