Entitled Parents

The harsh fluorescent lights of the grocery store only amplified the dull ache behind my eyes; all I wanted was to grab my items and escape. But then, a slightly raised voice from the checkout lane ahead hinted that my quiet escape was about to become anything but.

I was just trying to get some milk and bread, feeling pretty good after finishing my new knitting project. But then, this woman, who looked like she owned the place, marched right up to customer service with a beat-up stroller and a whole lot of demands.

The dull throb of a workday headache was a familiar companion in the electronics section, where tidying rows of game cases offered a small, satisfying sense of order. That fleeting peace was about to be shattered by the click of high heels and a woman who simply "deserved" the impossible.

I like to go to the park every morning, finding peace in sorting my old coins on my favorite bench, but today wasn't going to be one of those quiet days. I'd barely gotten my Barber dimes out when a voice like a siren started carrying from the coffee stand, demanding a free dog cookie because she and her tiny yappy dog were "special."

The air in that coffee shop always hit me like a ton of bricks, a symphony of smells that were usually out of tune. But even with my nose already protesting, I could feel a different kind of tension building as a flustered mom and her wailing baby were about to turn a simple coffee order into a full-blown spectacle.

It wuz a reel nice afternune at the park, the kind that helps me relax sum, which is rare in public places where high-pitched noises can make me edgy. But that golden quiet wuz about to get shattered when a lady with a stroller fixed her eyes on a young fella’s meticulously set-up photography spot.

My day was already a mess, and all I wanted was to get my groceries and go home to some peace and quiet. But just as I was zoning out in the checkout line, a woman decided it was her right to cut in front of everyone.

I was just trying to get my Saturday shopping done at the big home improvement store, mostly sticking to my list for some new garden gloves. But then a really loud voice from the customer service desk stopped me in my tracks, making me wonder if someone was in trouble, or just really, really mad.

The afternoon sun was starting to dip low, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink as I just wanted to get my grocery shopping done. But then, in the middle of the aisle, I saw her, a woman who clearly expected the world to bend to her will.

My day was already a mess, and all I wanted was some good sourdough and to get off my throbbing foot. But then she walked in, bypassing the long line like she owned the place, and suddenly my bad day got a whole lot worse.

A busy Saturday at the grocery store is always a goldmine for my weird hobby of observing people, especially in the tangled mess of the checkout lines. I wasn't in a hurry, which was good, because I had a front-row seat when a woman with a perfectly coiffed bob decided the line simply didn't apply to her.

The big store was very busy today, and my job is to help people find what they need and make sure they are happy. But happiness can quickly turn to angry shouting when a woman demands something for free that was never promised.