In Such a Hurry

Yesterday after work I stopped at Whole Foods…….rushing up the aisles, grabbing only the necessities, trying to stay within my $50 food limit (success), trying to beat the clock that ticked away the precious minutes that I get to spend with Kwabena before his bedtime……..5:30 p.m…..6:00 p.m…..

I hurried over to the shortest line I could find, only to have some lady with 2 kids in the cart move from one checkout line into MY prospective lane, without so much as a glance at who she could be cutting off.

I sighed and sucked my teeth. She turned around and said in an even tone, “You go right ahead.” Exasperated, I replied, “No, no, that’s fine, if I can just get over into THAT lane,” meaning, the one she just abandoned that looked pretty empty and inviting. Just at that moment, another person jumped into THAT line…..

Jeez, can’t I just get out of this store, already??

The lady says, “Well, since you’re in such a rush…”

I said, “No, just go” and resigned myself to being patient.

But I wanted to tell her, “Listen, lady, I’m just trying to get home to my kid so I can spend time with him!!!”

But I held my tongue. It wasn’t her fault that when I stop at the store after work that I sometimes don’t get home until nearly 7 p.m. and miss out on quality time with Kwasi and Kwabena. It’s my fault for not being better organized and getting my shopping done on the weekends instead of well into the evening on weekdays. It’s my fault for going to bed super late (thanks, Apple), only to sprint around the house in the a.m. trying to leave early enough so that I don’t have to sit in 1-hour of traffic to drive only 10 miles to work, where if I arrive late, I can’t leave until 5:30 p.m……

But I’m working on it, and making progress! Next time, I hope to be able to smile and pleasantly say to customers that jump in front of me, “No, no, you go” and actually mean it.