Mean old people...

What makes old people think that they can be rude, mean, & generally unpleasant when they're in the grocery store??

I was raised to respect my elders. I'll hold doors, give them my seat, help with packages - generally whatever I can do that would be helpful and not insulting. I have the utmost respect for my elders. But man, some of them just do not deserve it.

There must have been 50 people over the age of 75 at the grocery store today. Only one of them was pleasant. The rest? Several blocked the aisles. One came to a complete & sudden stop right in front of me so that I almost plowed her over - then looked at me like I was at fault. (Maybe I was - is rear-ending someone with a cart like rear-ending them with a car?) One glared at me because I dared to stop & grab something off a shelf. Another came racing (yeah, I know - most move at a snail's pace, but this one was a regular Dale Earnhardt) around the corner & almost plowed into me. I stopped, and said, "I'm sorry. Excuse me." - even though it wasn't my fault - but she just gave me a hateful look & jerked her cart around to pass me. Then I had to wait 5 minutes in the cereal aisle because two old biddies older ladies were chatting right in front of the cereal I needed, and they couldn't hear me saying "excuse me".

Seriously? What is it about the grocery store that makes senior citizens act like Cujo? Are they hungry? Geesh - there's a Starbucks as you walk in - grab a frappuccino or something. Did they miss a nap? Go home & come back later! Are they in pain? Here's some ibuprofen & the keys to the motorized cart. Do they need help? Just ask!!

If my kids had ever behaved like these seniors, I would've given them one warning and then given them a time-out. And they wouldn't get to go to the store next time. I never allowed them to act like that in public.

Is this kind of behavior something I need to fear as I grow older? Will I one day wake up, go to the grocery store, and suddenly have the urge to block aisles, cut people off, and glare at anyone who makes eye contact with me? Okay, sometimes I do the glaring thing now, but will I start doing the other stuff? I can only hope that my kids will take me out of the store & give me a time out if I go over to the dark side.