stranger encounters.

a couple of weeks ago, i was grocery shopping at our local grocery store. it was maybe 8 at night and i was alone. it was a peaceful vacation compared to the usual trip with holden where he wants one of everything and we rarely make it out of the store without opening a package of something in the cart for him to snack on.

i was minding my own business cruising down the soup aisle. i was aware that a cart was coming around the corner into my aisle, so as i was looking for a specific soup, i pushed my cart over to the side to make way for the other shopper. in doing so, i made a complete fool out of myself. in a matter of seconds, i managed to push my cart into an end cap thing of pistachio nuts. i felt like it happened in slow motion as i watched the entire display of packaged nuts go crumbling to the floor. as I'm watching the display fall over, all i could say was 'ohhh myyyy gossssh'. the 30ish year old man that i was moving my cart for watched it all happen, chuckled and just walked right past.

i would consider myself to be independent and i don't really expect others to 'rescue' me. it's not like this guy HAD to do anything, but come on!!!! there were nuts allllll over the aisle and i felt like a such a clutz! not to mention that the moron was actually kind of cute. I'm not helpless... I sat there in the aisle and picked up all those packages and moved on... but an offer to help or maybe an 'I'm sorry' would have been appropriate. unfortunately, this incident left me feeling really disappointed in men and the lack of chivalry in our generation.

BUT... yesterday, i was at the same grocery store. thankfully, i didn't have another incident like that and made it out without embarrassing myself. as i went to checkout, every single line had at least 2 people in it and their carts were full. I got in one of the lines and holden was being quite content... thanks to the goldfish. a new line opened up and the sweetest 40ish year old lady INSISTED that i go. not only did she not go in front of me, she actually stopped a man who tried to jump in line and said that me and my little man needed to go first. when i thanked her profusely, she said that she vividly remembers shopping with little ones and being a mom can wear a girl out. she said it was the least she could do.

honestly, it took everything inside me to not hug her neck and weep on her shoulder. it's sad that there aren't more people in the world like this sweet lady. and it also made me question if I'm as considerate and sweet as this lady who doesn't know me from adam. the answer is sadly probably not. sometimes, even if i don't have holden in tow, i have an agenda and am not nearly as kind to strangers as i want them to be to me. whether that means speeding up to the stop sign so i can go first or not holding the door for someone.

i desire to be the considerate stranger that i want to encounter. join me?