Day# 57: Rude people

  You guessed it, today I'm venting about discussing rude people. Or oblivious people who come off as rude because they don't know what they're talking about. And yes, I may have encountered one of these individuals today at the commissary on base. Clueless single man. No, I do not expect single men to empathize with a woman who has two young children, but I expect common curtesy or at least an insult to the face and not behind my back.  That's not asking too much, is it?
   And here is where I tell you my tale of woe. So it's FREEZING here- like 35 degrees with a wind chill of 20.  I went to the commissary to scope it out and pick up a few items. Well, on base they have baggers who take your groceries out to your car. Unless you go through the express lane, which I did. So I took my cart out with the kids and my few bags. Only after I had unloaded my cart and gotten both kids buckled into their car seats and cranked up the car, did I realize that there were ZERO cart returns in the entire parking lot. none. I would have to go all the way to the front of the store to return my cart. So I did the unthinkable. I carefully placed my cart in a parking space not occupied by a vehicle and got into my car. I know, I know. I was being that person. But I seriously rarely do it. But I did not want to leave my kids in a running car to return my cart. I chose my kids over the cart. However, the wind was blowing and my cart slowly moved toward another car and tapped it, ever so slightly. Well, about this time I started to feel guilty....and then I see this man. The rude man. He is watching me like a hawk from his car parked a few spaces away. So I jump out of the car, grab the cart, and sprint to the front of the cart and return my cart like a responsible patron of the commissary. As I'm shoving my cart into its designated place, this man (the rude one) walks behind me into the store and says under his breath, but plenty loud enough for me to hear,  "That was not a good thing to do!". Really?!? So I turned to him and said, "First of all, if you cared so much and saw me with two small kids, you could have taken the cart from me and walked it to the front. Secondly, you know what's not good? That I just left my two kids in the car to return a stupid cart? And thirdly, next time you want to call someone out on something, say it to their face."
   Okay fine. I didn't  actually say that. I ignored his comment and hurried back to my car. But after thinking about it and having adequate time to prepare my statement, that is what I wanted to say. And I also wanted to key his car. Or at the very least, ram a cart into it. It's one of those situations where you are so caught off guard by someone's comment, you aren't prepared to say anything. But honestly, if I had said what I wanted to say, I probably would have regretted it. And I wouldn't have said it all calm and collected. Knowing me, I would have yelled it.
   If I had seen a mother abandon her cart in the parking lot (which I have seen, on many occasions), I would have understood why. You know what I do at grocery stores? If I see someone who is finishing unloading their groceries (mother or not), I always go up to them and tell them I'll take their cart- that way they don't have to put it away, and I can get my kids settled in before getting into the store. I love it when something I do benefits others and myself at the same time. It's a win- win, and who knows? maybe taking that person's cart helped them out more that you know. Or maybe you just saved a parked car from being hit by a cart.