JERK!

Tonight I made a very rare trip to the mall. Normally I avoid the mall like it was filled with Storm-troopers*. Don’t get me wrong, I like to shop, wait—I LOVE to shop, just not in malls. They tend to close in on me and I feel boxed in.
Tonight though I had no choice.

I heard Bath and Body works was having their annual HUGE sale , and in the name of gift giving and early Christmas shopping, I had to get a jump on it for next year. Really, who am I kidding though, by this time next year I am sure I would have used up at least 50% of the “gifts” I intended to give to other people, and the other 50% will have been lost in my closet until I dig them out in mid 2010.

Anyway, I digress

I took a deep breath, walked into the mall, procured my loot of fragrant soaps, lotions, sprays and scrubs, and considered it a successful shopping trip. As I headed out of the entrance near the food court, the scene couldn’t have been more stereotypical of a mall. There were three kids sitting on a short wall right outside the entrance. Typically kids like this get labeled as being up to ‘no-good’ and ‘hoodlums’. They were slouched down, feet hanging over and resting on skateboards with just enough scratches on them to appear cool, talking in muffled tones, smoking suspicious cigarettes and giving the best attitude they could muster. Ahead of me was your typical Colorado Springs, middle aged (read ‘older than me’ although I don’t know if that is true) conservative couple, the husband walking at least three paces in front of the wife, he was dressed in Dockers and a golf shirt and she was wearing your typical conservative ‘Church Chic’ attire. They were walking towards the entrance as I was walking away.

At that moment a typical “Tanya Moment” happened. For no apparent reason other than I am a complete klutz, I roll my left ankle and fall down. Not a graceful fall either. We are talking drop.everything.splat.&.sprawl.on.the.ground.in.an.instant type fall. Seriously, this happens more times than I should ever admit.

I had three shopping bags in my hands, two in my left, one in my right. Luckily not too much fell out, but there was one tub of Eucalyptus Mint body scrub that rolled out and was rolling across the parking lot. The husband, of the couple walking towards me had to step over the scrub rolling in front of him. He did not stop to pick it up or even ask if I am ok. (At this time I am trying to pick myself up off the parking lot as quickly as possible) Instead he scowls at me while I am down on the ground like I am some sort of scum that likes to lay down in parking lots.

The three kids however, immediately yelled over to me “Are you okay?”

“Yeah” I replied as I stood up, brushed myself off and checked to make sure I didn’t tear a hole in my new jeans I was wearing, scuff up my shoes, or skin my elbow. With a half laugh I follow up with “guess I just need to learn to walk”.

At the same time I was standing up and starting to walk away with whatever pride I had left, the wife of the mean-non-helpful-scowling-man walks by me and says to me “looks like someone stocked up”.
I replied “yes I did…your husband’s an asshole.”

Seriously…

Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best thing I could have said, but really? Who does that? Sees a person fall, and not only ignores them but steps over their stuff and scowls as they walk by.

At least I got a good personal laugh once I got to my car and I am happy I didn’t hold back what I was thinking. As for the three kids sitting on the wall, I drove past them as I left the parking lot and gave them a wave.



* Random Tanya factoid: Unexplainable fear of Storm troopers, yes, like from the movie Starwars. It is weird. Believe you me; it makes Halloween interesting