Do not, under any circumstances, hold up the line. And, never, I mean NEVER, hold up the line at the grocery store.
If you do, you’ll get what I call the “huffy puffy” look from everyone behind you – from everyone whose life is so much more important than yours. These people are in a rush. They probably don’t know why they’re in a hurry, but they are. So, move it!
You’ve probably witnessed someone writing a check or paying with food stamps – something that holds up the line for a few seconds. And, what does everyone do in line when this happens?
They roll their eyes. They evil stare. Cross their arms. Shake their heads. Exhale loudly. Huff and puff. And, not one time in my grocery shopping days have I ever noticed this to be an effective method of speeding up the line. But, the frustration continues.
Why? Where do these people have to go so sudden? Are these government officials who need to send a fax to Congress to pass life-altering legislation (from their important offices in Carpentersville, USA – the center of the middle of nowhere)?
Are they flying today and need to catch the plane (but decided orange juice, Breyer’s Ice Cream and frozen pizza were essential materials for the flight)?
Or, are they doctors late for surgery (who happened to stumble into a Jewel before they performed that all-important amputation)?
The answer is “no” to all of the above.
They’re probably just headed to Starbucks (where they’ll get mad in that line, too). Or, they’re headed back home to lie on the couch and watch Grey’s Anatomy (that they’ve TiVOed, so it’s not going anywhere anyway).
Either way, they’re headed somewhere of no significance or importance. It’s the suburbs – everyone has time on their hands. There’s never a rush. It’s hurry up and wait.
There’s never a legitimate reason to project negativity towards another human being for taking away what you think is your precious time.
I’m sick of it. I’m fed up. I always say something to the people around me if they act like that. I’m not going to not say something – they must be told, like a child, that they are acting socially unacceptable. It’s usually something off the top of my head and sarcastic – in case they have a penknife and are in the stabbing mood, I can deny.
But, I think this anger and annoyance in lines stems from the idea of individual over community. And, people think that their time is more valuable than everyone else’s.
Instead of being self-serving, why not be friendly? Instead of getting irritated, why not extend a helping hand? Why not relax and do something that was invented a couple years back – talking to your neighbor?
This is a tiny problem, but it needs fixing. It’s small, but it says something bigger about us as citizens of this world. It’s representative of how we live our lives in general and what the future holds.
So, beware of the huff and puff.
