Officially A Grump

Okay. I’m frustrated. Yesterday I dropped into the library and had a pleasant hour selecting this week’s clutch of books to read. As I walked up to the check out person, she was busy talking to the person at the computer next to her. She took my card. She scanned my books and the first word she spoke to me was to tell me when the books were due back, and then, quickly returning to her conversation with her fellow staff member.

Then I as I made my way out the door toward my car, a man and woman came from another door heading toward their car. Our paths had to intersect. She is talking to her husband and looking at me as she walks directly in front of me, causing me to have to stop in my tracks or crash into her.

Now I’m in my car and about to make a right turn with the light onto my street. Opposite me is someone in a car making a left turn. I have the right of way of course because of the right turn, plus I’ve actually already started my turn. She turned in front of me and looked at me as if I was a terrible inconvenience to her. I slammed on my breaks to avoid a possible collusion.
Now what do these three people have in common besides incidentally being women? Right. They were rude. I expect some rudeness in life. Not everyone is considerate—I get that. I’m sure now and then I’m rude too, though I’d like to believe it’s unintentionally. But, gosh, three episodes in the course of less than five minutes?

Now and then my family and I are downtown to see a Redbirds game—our fine Triple A baseball home team. Seven or Eight thousand people crowd into our still great little ball park. And like all sporting events, people are in and out of their seats and walking around the concourse on a quest for goodies. I know, because I’m sometimes on that quest too. Let me suggest that three cases of rudeness in less than five minutes is pretty normal there. And, of all places, AT A SPORTING EVENT, in which there are very clear rules of propriety in play on the field. But apparently none of this pastoral setting or game seems to rub off on those who watch it.

I wish these incidents were aberrations. I wish I could get through one public outing without at least one such encounter. And I suppose being pissed off by rudeness and writing about it officially makes me a curmudgeon. I don’t care. I’m fed up. I just don’t know what to do about it. Except grump a bit.

Peace to you, when peace is really hard to come by.

Jerry+

P.S. Most idiotic remark of the day category. The Anglican Archbishop of Sudan publically announced yesterday that "there are no homosexuals in the Sudan--at least none have come forward." Guess not.