Things I'm Still Bitter About
I think one of the reasons I am most happy about confronting the car who bumped me two months ago, is that if I hadn't I would probably still be bitter about it. You see, I am a pretty mellow guy, but if something gets in my craw... Sometimes I just can't let it go. Below are 3 situations that still make me angry
1. Dutch Magazine Guy
So I'm in Amsterdam, where anything goes, right? Wrong. I'm minding my own business in a bookstore reading a magazine and I've turned the page over. Nothing crazy. Just one page behind the other, and this Dutch prick store employee says (of course in perfect English), "If you're not going to buy anything, would you mind at least not creasing the pages."
What gets me even madder, is that now whenever I'm in a store reading magazines I think about this, consider that he might've been right, and am more careful. So being a prick worked! The only mild positive, is that I have at least fashioned the perfect I-should-have-done. In this scenario, I stroll up to the Dutch Prick Cashier, rip the magazine in half, then lay down the money for it saying, "Thanks for being an asshole."
2. Bridge ticket
Not as big of a deal, but still annoying. I blogged about this before, but the key thing is that the cop said the speed limit was 30 when it was actually 35. I was still speeding (43), but not by much. The thing that bothers me about it is I decided not to challenge it, since I was speeding anyways and would've had to take a sub day. But in the end, why the fuck didn't I? No self-respecting cop would've shown up for that proceeding. Also, my insurance took a hit.
3. Being Shushed
This still gets me angry. I was at a cafe that had different musicians performing (actually with Michael5000) and was in the front talking to the people I was with. 1 guy turns to me and says, super friendly, "Hey man, are you here for Virgil Shaw?"
I think we're about to bond on this so I reply, happily, "Yah, I am."
His response? "Well I'm here for the guy playing now so I'd appreciate if you'd stop talking."
Repeating it makes him sound not so bad, but I swear it was. First of all, the whole bait and switch friend/foe thing, then the connotation that I was out of line to be talking when this was a cafe. And the worst part about it was I had no way to go about reacting. If I continued talking, then I was pretty much immaturely rebelling, and had no chance to really enjoy the conversation. But if I didn't talk, then he'd won! Even worse, the shusher thanked me on his way out, which is when I should've clocked him.
I don't know, perhaps I'm alone on these. But are there seemingly trivial confrontations in your life that you obsess over changing? Please share...
Labels: Life
posted by chuckdaddy2000 at 10:24 am
7 Comments:
I will admit it, I am a "shusher" I CANNOT stand it when I've paid 10 dollars for a movie or 20 for a concert only to hear drunk gal or idiot guy yap-yap-yap. It's actually prevented me from going to movies lately because I am now hyper-sensitive to it and it ruins the movie for me. It's usually okay to go see an indie flick in Portland because the audience is so respectful. I went to see a Hollywood blockbuster in Southern Oregon and they audience would not shut up and apparently babysitters are outlawed. In short, my nightmare.
MF and I ventured to see Peter, Bjorn and John (who royally rocked it, btw) at Doug Fir this past week. The audience was pretty good except for the beer being spilled all over my feet and legs. Young Folk's got the crowd a bit too riled up.
I was waiting for a long time for a flight at Dakar International Airport (Senegal, West Africa) when I absolutely had to use the bathroom, something I try desperately not to do in Dakar. I was pleased to discover that at least there was a mens room and a ladies room, so naturally I headed toward the ladies room.
But just then a Senegalese man walks confidently out of the ladies restroom. Obviously shocked and maybe a little confused, I checked the sign. Alright, yes, I was trying to impress upon him that he'd made a grave mistake.
But even before my non-verbal reprimand could transform itself into smugness, he looked at me and said in perfect English, "Look lady, you're not in America anymore."
I mean, it's not like I didn't know that, but hey, what's the point in having your own restroom if you're not going to use it? There wasn't a line. It wasn't any further away. What? You just couldn't be bothered? And don't assume you know me, mister. I can hover over the smelliest, seatless unisex toilets Dakar has to offer. But if the sign says ladies, then I'm expecting a lady. That's all I'm saying.
I hate being shushed... it's is so belittling. And way to go on the Virgil Shaw! Love Virgil and Dieselhed!
I hate, Hate, HATE being shushed. HATE HATE HATE it. I hated it when you were shushed by that punkass wanker at the coffee shop. I'm still bitter about it too.
i was at menard's (home improvement center) buying some astroturf for my backyard (it is cement) and I was in the carpet section with a shopping cart containing my 3 year old and 10 month old. I had them fairly close to a guy on a laddar pulling out caprets. i actually had thought about it and decided it wasn't any danger and went ahead and pushed the cart where I needed it. this man came up to me and said "if i had a cart ful ofl kids I wouldn't put them over here. it isn't safe." then he smiled and said "just a heads up." I was ENRAGED! first of all, having your kids at a home repair store means every aisle is a potential danger, second I didn't think it was any threat. i thought about it all day and thought of things I should have said in response, etc. one of them being "here's a heads up for you, if you're going to give meddling advice don't end it with 'just a heads up'" I decided if he had just told me in a different way i wouldn't have been so angry. like, he if he said "my wife says I'm really paranoid so I am sorry to interfere but it makes me nervous having your cart so close to that guy." ot something more self-effacing. my final conclusion, however, was that the reason it made me so made was that he was probably right. I think the shusher made you mad because you had been talking during someone's performance and bothering people. you didn't like to be told that. perhaps the cafe setting made you feel talking was fine, but you maybe had some doubts after this guy shushed you and it made you mad. i had my kids in a dangerous situation, perhaps, being reprimanded humiliated me as much as angered me because when someone tells you you're being a bad parent and they are partially right you don't want to hear it. that's my theory. i thought about that emanr's guy for a few days but haven'y thought of it until now. so admit your guilt, chuckdaddy, and you won't have to be angry any more.
@big sis,
but we WERE in a coffeeshop! Drinking coffee and everything! It was Chuck's DUTY to be making intellectual coffeeshop conversation!
Sister-
I think there is some truth to what you say, and I think that is why I'm angry about Dutch Magazine Guy. But with the cafe shusher...
I don't know, I guess if it was totally clear he was out-of-line I wouldn't be as obsessed with it, but I think my overall bittereness comes from somewhere else. I mean, people all over the cafe were talking; it wasn't a scene were everyone was quiet but me. The only difference was I was seated near the front, but still, the noise culture was still certainly one of a cafe. So I think I really am just mad for the simple reason that he was wrong but still got his way. And that I didn't have the confidence in the moment to point out others were talking, or, to take the high road and ask if his group wanted to switch seats.
Or to kick his ass, motherfucker...
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