Friday, April 22, 2011

Bringing out the worst in people

Have you ever made somebody freak out without even trying? I have. I'm not talking about your husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend either. I'm talking about a complete stranger.

A few years ago I was at a busy butcher's shop waiting to place an order. I wasn't in a rush and was just standing in line when the butcher yelled "Number 93. Who's got number 93?"

Looking down at my ticket I relaxed because my number wasn't 93, it was 94.

"Ninety three, I'm looking for 93, he said again.

Everyone looked around but number 93 didn't step forward. Finally the butcher said, "Okay, who's got number 94?"

I held up my ticket and stepped forward. I'd already told him what I wanted and was waiting for him to prepare it when a woman came up behind me and grabbed my shoulder.

"Are you number 94?" she asked me.

"Yes," I replied.

"So how do you feel about yourself jumping in front of me?" she snarled.

"I didn't jump in front of anyone, he called my number," I said.

At this point in the conversation the proverbial train left her station and she flipped out. Hysterically she began yelling at me for taking advantage of her when her daughter had just died.

"Listen I'm not in that much of a hurry, you go ahead," I told her. I could feel my face going about a dozen shades of red. I didn't know this woman and I certainly didn't know her daughter had just died.

The woman placed her order and I stepped back. But while she was waiting for the butcher she turned on me again to yell some more. It was obvious that arguing with this woman would only have made things worse so I didn't engage her. I just took the abuse knowing that whatever the woman was going through must have been tough and I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

When I got back up to the butcher's counter he apologized on behalf of his customer. I told him it was no big deal but here I am years later still thinking about it. I wonder if that woman remembers me? I wonder if she regrets taking her frustrations in life out on a complete stranger? I wonder.

Fast forward to this week and I again found myself in a precarious position with regards to a complete stranger being upset with me for reasons I had nothing remotely to do with. I was walking the dog with my son Tavish and we'd stopped so he could explain a story to me. Tavish was right in the middle of his tale when all of a sudden he stepped back.

"What's wrong Tav?" I asked.

Tav remained silent and just looked beyond me at something approaching.

"What did that damn dog just do on my lawn?" a crusty voice growled behind me. I turned around and saw a woman standing there with her hands on her hips.

"Just pee," I replied.

"Better be. I'd better not find anything else on my lawn," she said. "Now get out of here."

She then turned around and stomped back into her home.

I turned to look at Tav. "Why did she say that Dad?" he asked.

"She must think that Oz (the dog) was going to crap on her lawn," I said.

"But you would have picked it up, right Dad?" he said.

"That's why I have these bags," I said holding one up.

As we walked away I looked back to see the woman glaring at us from her window. Again, wrong place at the wrong time. Obviously some other dog owner had left a package for this woman on more than one occasion and I was the unfortunate guy who stopped in front of her house while she was looking out her front window. 

On both these occasions I didn't do anything to warrant the abuse I took. What can I say, sometimes I just bring the worst out in people.

Has anything like this ever happened to you?

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