A True Story

Though this story could have happened anywhere that people shop, it happened at a fabric store.

I was browsing the pattern books hoping to stock up on patterns that were on sale for $1.99. I made my list and went to the bank of pattern drawers to pick out my patterns.

I was about halfway through when a woman that looked like Fred Flintstone's mother--in-law only with red hair pulls her cart up next to me and starts going through the drawers on my left. Of course right at that moment, I'd finished in my drawer and needed to get into the same one she was in. It was the bottom drawer. She had it wide open. I could have just been rude and snatched the pattern out of it, but I waited politely. I waited while she turned her back on the drawer and rearranged her cart. I waited while she pulled more patterns from the drawer above. She never had a clue she was in my way, so I went over and put my patterns in my hand basket and came back.

Finally she finished with that drawer and moved over to the one I'd started at. So I should be able to get my patterns now, right? Wrong, because now she parked her cart in front of the entire bank of drawers I needed to get into.

So I took out my notebook and started doodling in it. I doodled Patience is a Virtue. At this point it was more of a game, wondering if and when she'd actually get a clue.

Finally, she turned her cart around and started walking away from me. I opened the drawer and she never even turned to look. Our paths crossed two of three more times and she never said a word to me.

Then when I went to get in line, they have a maze set up so the line stays in order. There she was, blocking the aisle, browsing at the candy so no one could get through. A lady asked if she could pass. I squeezed behind her. There was one short gray haired woman in front of me in line. Of course Mrs. Oblivious was right behind me in line.

Anyway, the little old lady in front of me was using the counter to start her check. She was mumbling about something under her breath. FInally I asked her what was wrong. She pointed to a tall white haired woman just going out the door. She said, "See that woman, she cut me right out of the line and went to the register before I could walk up there.She just blew right by me like I wasn't even here."

So Mrs. Oblivious, who is behind me, chimes out, "Well, good Lord, some people are just so rude."

The lady in front of me said, "No, she was just ignorant."

Funny how we always notice when others are being oblivious to us, but have no clue when we are being oblivious to others.