Friday, October 16, 2020

The Most Dangerous Place

In this age of the pandemic, the most dangerous place for me seems to be the egg department of the local market.

People just seem to bottleneck in that corner.

I, of course, stand back until the area clears, reach in, check the date on the egg carton then — to maintain social distance, not get caught up in the next wave of customers, step away to a safe distance, where I open the carton, check to make sure the eggs are in pristine condition.

That generally works for me, but not always.

There have been a few occasions when some impatient someone got too close, even reached over and/or around me to grab something, and I’m just SICK OF IT!

Like yesterday.

I was already in a mood because Illusive Unfriendly had, for the first time since moving here three years ago, was actually out on the patio sweeping away the many cobwebs.

She’d rebuffed my welcoming her to the quad when she first moved in by yelling at me that, “I DON’T LIKE PEOPLE!”, doesn’t and hasn’t spoken to any of us since, so I walked by as though she wasn’t there — walked by without the usual good morning and friendly wave I give to other residents.

As I passed, I hear her say, “Hello, how are you”.

Say what?

I am not a forgiving person.

Being a spiritual student, I’ve tried but, depending on the offense, I just can’t get there.

And it wasn’t just her chasing me off when I was trying to welcome her. It was also that she complained to the office and complained to the office and complained to the office about “That woman upstairs disturbing my peace at 3:30 in the morning bouncing a ball”. Of course, the only thing I was doing at 3:30 a.m. was sleeping but, when she learned it was noise coming from someone doing laundry in the laundry room, the complaints stopped, the noise no longer bothered her.

That really chapped my hide that the noise was a big deal for her when she thought it was I making the noise, but it no longer mattered to her when she learned it was not me.

I concluded from that, and chasing me off, plus the fact the people she purports to not liking doesn’t seem to include men, that it’s women she doesn’t like, and me in particular because of jealousy — in that I’m old and pretty, she’s young and ugly.

That’s okay by me.

She doesn’t have to like me, so long as she doesn’t bother me, and she doesn’t — no further complaints, no nothing, until yesterday’s “Hello, how are you”.

I wasn’t having it.

She had her chance.

It’s too late now.

So, I dead eyed her and continued on to the market … angry because, how frigging dare she.

At the market, I wait my turn in the egg department and, after grabbing a carton of eggs, I turned around to step away and check the eggs, only to see some teen girl had come out of nowhere and was so all up on me that I almost ran into her face, with my face, when I turned.

I LOST IT!

I began to curse a blue streak.

“GODDAMN IT! ... SIX FUCKING FEET!”.

Walking away, filled with rage, I didn’t see her reaction or the reaction of the person with her holding the cart (her mom maybe).

Back at the complex, unloading groceries, I spied Illusive Unfriendly leading two people through the gate, towards her unit.

Her mom and dad I assumed, as she looked just like her mom and, once again, for me it was you don’t exist — I dead eyed her. But that explains sweeping of the patio — relatives were coming.

Her mom and dad, catching my cold dark energy, are probably thinking people around here are so unfriendly, so rude, not knowing their daughter is getting what she gives.

At any rate, deciding I needed to come up with an iron-on transfer for the back of my top, something to the effect of reminding people to back up off me at the market, so I don’t have to curse, I went online and found not a transfer but a top I’ll be wearing every time I go to market.



So, other than the events of yesterday, it’s been a good week.

I’ve decided it’s far too risky to participate in Thanksgiving at granddaughter’s place, so I told her I’d drive up the week before to see their new home.

She understood, seemed okay with that, but the thing is … I probably won’t drive up the week before.

I’ve really no interest in seeing their home.

I know they’re proud because they paid an obscene amount of money for the place. I’m assuming because of the location because, looking at photos of the home, I don’t see three quarters of a million dollars’ worth of house.

I’d worry for their getting in so deep, except they were smart enough to put enough down so that their payments are just about what they were paying for renting that apartment on the beach.

At any rate, I’m a simple living person. Opulence doesn’t impress me so, though I told her I’d drive up to see the house, I don’t really want to and probably won’t.

Maybe next Thanksgiving, if the pandemic is over and done with by then.

14 comments:

  1. I'm glad you gave it right back to the neighbor and gave it to the girl in the store too. I guess I need to get a shirt like that because I am so sick of it too. What do people not understand about the word pandemic?!

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    1. I'm usually not so mean or direct, but this pandemic (and the political situation) has me to where I just can't with other people right now.

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  2. I think I would have bought a basketball after the fact. And that shirt is right on.

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  3. Husband and I were out walking. We're ancient, so we don't walk as fast as some. Next thing I know, a mask-less woman overtakes us and breathes right in my face as she goes around us. I was so shocked and angry I didn't say a word. Probably just as well. She's our new neighbor.

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    1. Doesn't sound like a neighbor one wants to be friendly with, and let's hope she didn't infect you with anything.

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  4. GO SHIRLEY! I like the shirt.

    I called someone out last week for NOT wearing a mask in labcorp (I was there to have blood drawn for MD tests). some stupid older white male. the staff threw him out of the lab. all over the door are signs: do not enter without a mask. guess dumbass figured the rules didn't apply to him.

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    1. It's so tiresome, this having to deal with people who won't follow the rules. But we've got to do what we've got to do to protect ourselves. Can't wait to see if the tee works next time I'm in the eggs department.

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  5. My guess is that you will get some compliments on that shirt when you wear it!
    Maybe you will make new friends with like minded folk. It's bold, gutsy and fun.
    So glad you decided not to go for Thanksgiving but how will you avoid going up to see the house without hurt feelings?

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    1. I think granddaughter realizes it was unrealistic to expect everyone to show up during a pandemic.

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  6. Yes, indeed- simply everything has changed this year.
    I am so glad we did not know ahead of time last year, we would have been horrified!

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  7. "Being a spiritual student, I’ve tried but, depending on the offense, I just can’t get there.", Lord how I can relate to that Sentence! I too am sick of people crowding up on me during a Pandemic, especially from behind where you don't notice them until they're right up on you and breathing all over you! Any of the refrigerated sections at the Grocers seems to be where the worst Offenders commit their Offenses. I do not like doing the Death Runs for Essentials because unlike other uncrowded places, the Grocery Stores have been Crowded even during the Panic Buying when they hardly had any Product on their Shelves!

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  8. This pandemic has made me wonder if I'll ever go places again after it's "over". I haven't been to my daughter's new apartment at all and it has been since before the pandemic that I went to my son's or my sisters. I don't want to become a full time hermit but it is beginning to seem not so bad most of the time.

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    1. I already was a borderline hermit. I think now I'm full blown and won't want to go anywhere, visit anyone after. It's just so peaceful.

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