Don helped me carry heavy boxes into the post office this week. As we got in line, a lady behind with an enviable resting bitch face and eyeroll muttered something that didn't sound like a greeting. I looked behind her and realized the actual end of the line went on a good ways behind us. We moved to the back of the pack without taking my earrings off.
Literally moments later another "lady" in front of us felt that she needed to dictate to another where she should stand, the other lady told her she was just fine right where she was. I believe those damn aisle arrows that have been removed from the grocery store floors have thrown these wanna be traffic police into a tizzy.
As we moved through the line at an acceptable holiday pace, it was clear to see that there were two kind of people in that room. The patient and impatient. Sighs and mutterings could be heard behind me if someone took longer than a minute with the postal clerk.
And then — it was my turn. I was greeted by a jolly postal elf with a ginormous Christmas Santa hat on. While he was scanning my packages I fixated on his hat. It had bulbs on it and looked like it may be a little uncomfortable.
I knew the minute it left my mouth I was click bait. "Does you hat light up?" I asked.
He grinned wider than a Cheshire cat and said "Well yes it does." he answered.
He pulled a bell hanging down near his ear and the hat moved up and down on his head and the bulbs all lit up and elf ears popped out from the side and it sang "We wish you a Merry Christmas." and more verses of it than I knew it had.
I scanned the room behind me, sneers and jeers, I was clearly the bane of their existence. I've always been the one to mash a button on a toy in the store to see what it does and then fumble to find the cut off switch hurriedly. I couldn't get behind the plexiglass to do so and just suffered through the imaginary projectiles being thrown at my back.
But, the song eventually ended and the postal clerk wished me a Merry Christmas with a wink and a nod for the next person to come to the counter.
A little reminder, we don't have to tell everyone how we feel about them. Sometimes we can just go along with it and be better for it.
