Shopping during the holidays is something that most people abhor. I’m not most people. I like shopping, period. Any time, any where, I like shopping. The only proviso would be, I shop in real stores, not those Canadian Tire kind of stores. I was out looking for a present for Joe when I came across a woman who was shopping in the same area. She looked at me and then the scooter with a ‘You don’t belong here’ look on her face. I did some mental gymnastics to deal with her hostility and went about doing what I was doing. Twice. Yes, twice, I had to stop short, once throwing myself forward in my seat because of the sharpness of the halt. She seemed to feel that she owned the space and didn’t need to consider the needs of any other shopper. This was evidenced by her insisting that a cashier stop a transaction with another shopper to give her detailed information about something. Even after being told to wait just a moment, she pressed on. Her time, apparently was important.
She probably had redeeming qualities but she clearly kept them locked away to share only with those she valued. I’d found what I wanted and then headed over to check out something that I’ve been waiting to go on sale for two years now. It wasn’t on sale. Then I found a line up, got in it and waited. The present purchased, hidden in my wheelchair bag, and I was off to meet Joe. I’d sent him to the lobby where there are chairs placed under a skylight and which is a real gathering spot in my neighbourhood.
When I came out and headed over to Joe, she was there and she was on her phone. Her conversation animated and her voice cutting. I began to wonder how well and how deeply she’d hidden those redeeming qualities. Distracted walking is dangerous and, of course, she stepped in front of me. I wasn’t anticipated it because as I was passing her she walk walking one way and then her voice escalated and she turned sharply and stepping in front of me.
This time she noticed me fly forward in my seat. She covered the phone and hissed, “You need to be careful in that thing. You could have run into me.” Now I was annoyed. “Lady, I am careful in this thing, I could have run into you several times today and I didn’t. So I’m a good driver and I’ve got enough patience not to ram into people who believe that they own all the space around them.”
She flipped me the bird!
Really?
I said, “That’s all you got?” and started laughing. She mightn’t have been the nicest person but when someone has a one fingered way to state their case they aren’t even slightly fun to engage with.
So, I didn’t.
I smiled and waved goodbye to her, still giggling.
