Teatime With "Trendy" Wen Dee

Teatime is for socializing. It's our "soul social" time.

In fact, I can remember, making my first family pot of tea, when I was just five years old. During these moments, my family will gather together, just to shoot the breeze, catch up, and even vent some pent-up emotions.

I highly recommend taking some moments with family and friends in this special social. Even if the tea is between you and a sweet fur baby. Your soul may thank you.

With that, let's check out today's topic. Drum roll, please. Badump tssh. Whoops! I said drum roll and out comes a cymbal joke. My bad. Moving on.

Today's teatime topic: rudeness in grocery stores.

I'm sure everyone on the planet has thousands of grocery store "rudeness" stories. Of course, we do. From holiday to holiday. There's always something happening. And the closer we get to the major shopping sales days, the worse it gets.

Emotions run high. Stress levels boil over. "Inhibitions be darned!" says the person having their sixth beer that day.

Mind you, these are not excuses. These are observations and ideas as to people's behavior while shopping with you. Nothing else.

Today, for me, my observations run wild.

I'm shopping for some tea (the idea for this article). Decaf, specifically. Enough for a family pitcher. Sounds like a simple item to find, yes? Well, no, it's not.

Three stores later, I find the family size decaf tea bags. Now, I can tell you all the details about those other stores. But that's not what stands out. Not today.

No, because it's the third store in which I'm confronted by an older man. He looks to be nearing his sixties. Gray hair. "Dad bod." Thick glasses. Slip on shoes. And a bright smile across his wrinkled face.

He seems friendly, if you're going by appearances. His smile, for one. The way he looks reminds me of my own father.

So, what happens?

Well, the man smiles and winks at me. Okay. That's weird. But I turn into the coffee and tea aisle, thinking that's just a silly little moment. No big deal. And then, he follows me.

Down the coffee and tea aisle we go. I stop, happy that I find my decaf tea bags. And he stops too.

The man, next to me, says, "Hey."

In this moment, I'm thinking, did I drop something? Is he trying to tell me to look for something?

When I turn to him, the man says, "Your butt should come with brake lights."

One blink. Two blinks. Three blinks more.

What in the world? A man. An older man. Is commenting on my bottom in the middle of the coffee and tea aisle! In a busy grocery store! Just why? Why, oh why?

I'm sure you're wondering what happens next. As a former therapist, do I blast him for his rudeness? Do I shake my fist at him? Or, maybe, do I glare at the man for checking out my rear?

The answer is no. To all of it.

In fact, I say nothing.

Oh, I admit, every muscle in my body wants to throw in some joke at his expense. Some shady retort that sends him packing. But I keep them to myself. They're too good to waste in a coffee and tea aisle, of course.

Also. My energy is best kept for things that help me better myself. Things that further my productivity.

I like to focus my energy on the people I love. My family and friends. Even my hobbies. Writing. Online gaming. Arts and crafts. You know. Things that have value and importance in my life. Things that matter.

Going full tilt on a man that's there for thirty seconds isn't worth it.

That's how I feel. What about you? The next time someone offends you, what will you do?

And yes, how would you handle this situation if you were in my shoes? What would you do differently? Please feel free to comment. Let's have our own soul social.

If you appreciate this trendy article, let's stay connected. Hit the follow button and watch out for my next teatime treasures. Peace and trend-scendence, readers!

Disclaimer: My articles are not meant to diagnose and give mental health treatment. They are opinions and events that happen in my life that I feel comfortable sharing. ?2023 Wen Dee.