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Sometimes, I really despise people. They can be such petty jerks. Real A-holes.
Not everyone, just the type who don’t make this world a better place, who make your soul a little sadder for having encountered them.
Random Aldi woman, you are akin to the types who drown puppies in hessian bags. Your show of concern for nothing other than yourself is deplorable.
If you were my child, I’d be ashamed of you. And I’d be ashamed of myself, for failing to teach you the very basics of what it means to be a good person. To be a citizen in an apparently civilised society.
Yesterday, you were a real selfish jerk. And the worst part is you probably didn’t realise, or care.
I don’t make a habit of judging strangers, but for you I make an exception.
That mum spitting commands at her little tornado through gritted teeth? She’s probably the same woman who smooths the hair down on his forehead and tucks him into bed with a kiss. Narky shop assistant? Her puppy probably mauled her favourite heels.
You? Awful person.
Shit happens. People aren’t always at their best. But what exactly was your problem?
I get that Aldi was packed, that you – like every other bloody person in the Sutherland Shire – just really wanted to grab some cheap snow gear and get the hell outta Dodge. Me too.
But after 40mins, I was still pottering through the crowds with a one-year-old on my hip and my three-year-old by my side.
It had been so busy when I arrived, they’d officially run out of trolleys. I’d sucked it up, shoved a couple of enormous bags under my non-baby-carrying arm, and pretended like this shopping mission wasn’t going to be a complete punish.
I raided drop-bins of jackets, pants, gloves for the right sizes as my one-year-old attempted to abseil down my body by grabbing my hair and throwing her weight backwards. I stuffed the bags with three pairs of snow boots, a helmet, jacket, pants, goggles, thermals, gloves… but where are the bloody knitted beanies and scarves?
It was hot, the dull ache in my arm was replaced with a numbness. My cucumber exterior was beginning to peel away, and one kind woman next to me noticed.
“There’s an empty trolley over there, you should really grab it.” Thank bloody God for that, I’m saved!
So I piled a mountain of snow gear and two tired kids into the trolley, and exhaled when I realised there was just enough room.
And then you appeared.
“Um, did you just put all this is the empty trolley that was here?”
“Yes, sorry, was it yours? I didn’t realise.” It was empty! And unattended for at least a minute! Under international You Snooze, You Lose regulations, that shit was mine.
“Yes, it’s mine.” You’ve got to be f***ing kidding me.
“Ok, then.”
And so I lifted my two bags out of the trolley, followed by the three-year-old and the little one, who was gripping the sides of the trolley and wailing in protest.
“There are plenty more trolleys outside now.” Well THANK. YOU. Captain Effing Helpful.
Then she put her two pairs of gloves in the trolley and ambled off in the opposite direction. I finally found the knitted beanies and scarves a good 10mins later, and there she was in the next aisle, two pairs of gloves in the trolley.
And that was when a little part of me died inside.
Was I being unreasonable? What would it have cost her to let a frazzled mum and her two tired littlies have that trolley? Was it such an inconvenience to perhaps wander back outside, into the world of ample trolleys, and fetch another one for herself?
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The spoils of my Aldi shopping adventure…
I doubt the thought ever crossed her mind. It was her trolley. She had Things To Do.
I hated her for her selfishness. I wanted to hurl every obscenity I knew at her precious, entitled ears. Call her out in public for the grade-A jerk she was.
But I didn’t. I levelled my eyes at her, let the baby’s scream linger in the air a moment and went on my merry way. I hope one day, when you’re in need of a little helping hand, someone turns their back on you.
People are such jerks.
And then some aren’t.
As I lugged my bulk through the busy car park, urging my three-year-old to stay close and hold mummy’s jumper, a woman shouted to me.
“You need a hand? Where’s your car, I’ll carry something.” She had a little one in a trolley and a half-packet boot.
“No thanks, my car’s just over there. I should be able to make it.” The one-year-old was practicing her abseiling again. I motioned my bagged arm in the general direction.
“Are you sure? I can take those bags, your baby.”
“I’m sure, but thank you.”
And so I made it back to the car, satisfied that for every jerk out there, there’s another willing to make this world a better place.
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But it was all worthwhile to see the look of excitement on my three-year-old’s face when she could finally try on her new gear…
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Let’s kill this negativity and share stories about the random acts of kindness that have made your world a little happier… Please leave them in the comments section below!
Image may be NSFW.
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