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A few months ago I went to go stay with my mom for a week while my dad was out of town and we decided to head over to the new Target that had just opened up near her house. I think we were hunting for a crib or something for Lboy. I don’t really remember the specifics.
The parking lot was packed! Everyone and their dog was there checking the place out and right as I pull in I noticed a person reversing out of a GREAT SPOT! I mean right by the front door. No trekking with a squirming 30 lbs kid from a million miles away, just walking in like a normal person.
I turn on my signal, wait for the lady to back out of it, and then sure enough right as she backs out, this little bitch in a black jaguar whips in to the spot from right behind me and puts her car in park. I mean did she not see me sitting there?!!!! WTF?!
At which point, the Kate who was functioning on 10 hours of sleep in two nights because her kid was teething & wouldn’t sleep, an emotional Kate who had a difficult evening the night before with a friend who had something awful happen to her, just LOST IT! I laid on my horn. I saw the B roll her window down and I was ready for a fight, so I rolled my window down too.
She went to talk first and in my head I was thinking, “Oh no she isn’t. I will beat her to the first word” (head bobbing & finger snapping included.) And I said to her, “Listen lady, I’ve been sitting for 5 minutes with a crying kid waiting to pull into that parking spot. Move it.” [Insert Picture of Crazy Woman Up Above Here-that’s probably what I looked like.]
Man was I waitin’ for her to just throw it back at me, I needed her to, I was dying for her to do it. I wanted to get out 3 days worth of emotional, pent up anger and I just needed someone to hurl it at.
Only, she didn’t yell. She didn’t fight back. She actually reversed out of the spot and then APOLOGIZED in the cutest, Spanish accent you’ve ever heard. It turns out she wasn’t a little bitch in a jag, she was a mom just like me. I noticed two empty car seats in the back of her car and then realized this was probably another mom who had gotten a 10 minute break from her kids so she could go have some girl time at the new Target.
Her hair was all frizzy, she had bags under eyes, she was wearing sweats, and I realized I was staring at my reflection. I had just yelled at a person over something so small and so stupid and it looked like she was probably having the same kind of day that I had been having. And I helped make it worse.
I then shrank from my 5’10 height to about 2 inches tall. Apologized profusely back at her and told her to take the spot. Neither of us took it though, it just wasn’t worth it.
I drove my red faced, ashamed self to the back of the lot, told my mom sorry over and over again (whose eyes were BULGING out of her head.) I unloaded Lboy and made my walk of shame to the store entrance.
I saw the woman twice from a distance in the store and a better me would have gone over to her and apologized. I just was so embarrassed that I cowered in the toy section, blinking back hot, shameful tears, until my mom told me she was ready to leave.
It was awful. I never act like that. It was the pure product of a sleep deprived state that only further proved that parenting can bring out the best and the worst in you. I was mortified with myself.
Needless to say, my mom let me take a nap, probably because she knew she was going to have to live with me for the next 3 days and she didn’t want me to go insane on her over something completely ridiculous.
I think any parent that has taken care of a young child has had a similar episode. I know I have. After it happened you did the best thing you can do, apologize & then forget about. If she did steal your spot it's not like you were wrong, you just could have handled it better. Being sleep deprived never leads to the best decisions.
This is oh so funny and reminds me of a few times I have had road rage and car-park-rage too. One time this older man pulled out of a junction but first he let a driver from the opposite direction through. I was fuming that I had to stop my car. I wound down my window and shouted, rather loudly, at these idiots who I thought had wronged me. 'read your highway code' I said as Doo sunk even lower in the passanger seat. 'Sorry love', one said 'it looked like you were turning off as youve still got your indicator on'. Oh the shame and embarassment. I went redder than the colour of my car apologised and sped off cringing! x
Awwww sweetie…. I think we have all done this. Nerves frayed, strung out from whiny kids, over due bills, husbands working late, and no break for us… and the smallest thing just sets us off and we lose it. It's what makes us human. You apologized AND beat yourself up. I do the same and have done the same. Welcome to the human race :o)
Yeah it was not a fun day…actually the entire week was bad! Your comment pretty much summed it all up! My husband was working 60 hours a week, in grad school full time, barely making ends meet, Lboy not sleeping, visiting people so I wasn't in my own bed…it was a no fun week for sure!
Any mom has had more than her fair share of days like this for sure! Besides, really she shouldn't have come from behind you and stolen the spot…..it's still wrong! I give you credit for having the guts to say something, I probably would have just given her the big stink eye and said it all under my breath. Sometimes you need to get it out! Sorry it made you feel worse after though.
Sometimes I can be really rude and snappy with solicitors at the door, and then I feel bad when it's a little kid.
Sometimes I can be really rude and snappy with solicitors at the door, and then I feel bad when it's a little kid.
Too funny (I am finding the humor in some of this… and in denial that this is likely my future lol!). I agree it does remind me of Towanda! “Face it honey I’m older and I have more insurance!”
lol It will definitely be your future if you are planning on having kids… 🙂 just warning you!
Hmmm I have a short fuse sometimes. Totally depends on the situation and where I’m at mentally or emotionally. I’ve lost it over the stupidest things and the moment I “win” I realize what a putz I was and how insignificant it was in the first place. Clearly I’m a slow learner. Sigh… Glad you were able to get some sleep!
I definitely can have a short fuse too, it’s like you said, it depends on where I’m at mentally & emotionally. And how much sleep I’ve had! That week was a terrible week!
My mom used to ask me when I was little “Would you rather be right or happy?” And I would always say “being right makes me happy.” As I have gotten older, I have found that being right doesn’t make me happy, being happy makes me happy. I’m a much better at choosing my battles!
I have done this. I am usually so patient and level headed … would my husband back that assessment? (cough). But sleep-deprived or other hormones can turn me into someone else.