I'm not sure exactly what those who read this post will get from it. I wrote it because I felt the need to vent my annoyance with the person sitting next to me in my favorite spot, the coffee shop. Sorry for the ramble, but happy reading and I hope you chuckle a little too.
I'm thinking of a title for this post and the following rant is definitely not about a prince or Persia. Today I decided to visit my favorite hangout, the coffee shop. I won't state the location or the name of the coffee shop in the off chance that my former neighbor to the right might happen to come across this blog. On a scale of 1 to 10, my annoyance level peaked to around 20. Sometimes one happens to listen in on the conversations around oneself, especially if said person (me) was flying solo for the day. It's like Shikata Ga Nai, "It can't be helped, it must be done."
I had just finished my grading and whisked out my laptop to start writing my review of Black Panther, when a male entered the coffee shop (this is beginning to sound like a police report). Tim, not the Tim I'm married to, but the gentlemen who walked into the coffee shop and sat down next to lucky ol' me. He asked very politely if I could please plug in his laptop. I was sitting by three empty plugs so I was happy to oblige. He proceeded to tell me that he loved sitting in the seat that he chose because it look very regal. I didn't realize I was going to be sitting next to the Prince of Persia or the King of England. He was neither Persian nor English and I highly doubt he was of royal blood. I said I like my chair because it looked comfy and was close to the outlet, my laptop needed some juice. He then told me a strange story about semi-colons and emails, I tried to tune him out. I wished him happy writing and then went about my business.
Suddenly, in walked his friend. She had just come from the gym, but according to my seat neighbor she smelled like she had just done her laundry. He started to tell his friend about a time that he forgot to put his car in park and his car rolled into another car. He said that he was more concerned about his car and didn't care that the other car was damaged. He did leave a note (I wonder if he was the person who hit me in the CVS parking lot while I was picking up a prescription). He said that on the day the accident happened, he walked out of wherever he was, and saw the car crash. He stated that he felt bad for the person who had the car like his, a Mazda Miata, and that his car was better with amazing added features, but upon closer examination, realized the Mazda Miata in the accident was actually his and how unfortunate it was that he had to pay for the damages he caused to the other person's car. WHAT????????
First off yes dude, your new haircut IS STUPID (I heard you ask your friend if she thought so), second, who gave you the award for participating as a bench warmer? (this is why not everyone should get a trophy, because then you create entitled people like this guy) and third, who put it into your head that you're better than everyone else. Maybe these were your insecurities talking, I highly doubt you're insecure. (Run-on rant approaching) You told your friend the only reason you want to run, whatever it is you run, (not a marathon because you're a short distance runner, yes I heard that too, all the while trying to review Black Panther) is because you want to win and you won't compete in a marathon because you can't win a marathon, wow entitled much??
There is an amazing essay written by Marta Salinas that I read with my students called, "The Scholarship Jacket." It's about a young girl, whose family were farmers and couldn't afford to pay for the various sports, extracurricular activities that I know cost parents a fortune. Martha, (the girl in the story) is very studious and at the end of her eight years at her school, is expected the win/earn the scholarship jacket, however, the school wants to give it to another student, one whose father is very prominent in the town that they live. I read this with my students in the hope that they, work hard and don't expect accolades and pats on the back. My students say they can relate to it. One even went so far as to say that when everyone gets an award, it cheapens the meaning for those who truly earn it. Good job kids, you're already doing better than this guy!
Listening to the conversation next to me, I realized that I was basically listening to a grown man talk as if he was a five-year-old. This is our future, thanks planet!! This isn't a Generation X vs Millennial thing, (according to MetLife, I would be considered a millennial. All other sources say I'm GenX thank God for that!). This is a respect people and be humble thing.
I hope that Tim, my seat neighbor, not my husband, realizes how pretentious and entitled he sounded and I hope that he changes his "all about me" outlook on life. He was polite to me and I wish him all the best, but please sir (I'm calling him sir, but I know I'm older than he is) try being a better human.
