Yesterday, the boys and I went out in town to buy some produce. It has been awhile since we've been out just the three of us and now I remember why. Anyway, walking into the market this older Japanese man (he said he was 81) came up to me and started talking to me. He had no personal space and invaded mine very closely to my face. His teeth were rotted and his breath was awful. I found myself leaning backwards to the point of falling trying to give myself some breathing room. The boys were strapped into the stroller and the stroller was pressed up against a box of lettuce. There isn't room to walk with a stroller to begin with, but I wasnt' going to leave the boys out in the main isle (like many of the Japanese women do). Other people were trying to pass by us (pushing and forcing they're way through) and this man just kept talking to me. I was very nervous and Caleb was starting to get upset. Caleb is trying to pull himself out of the stroller and yelling at me, "Let's go home mommy". I literally wanted to come out of my skin. I tried several times to relieve myself from this man's conversation to no avail. He was telling me that he was in the Navy during WWII (I think, his English was very elementary) and he kept hitting his hands together saying, "Imperial Staff! Imperial Staff!!" I still have no idea if he was in the Japanese Navy or if he was in the US Navy...His physical stance made me think that he was in the Japanese Navy and that he was upset with me being there, but that could just be based on my anxiety during the situation. Anyway, I had to be very rude and walk away, which is difficult for me to do with old people. (I have this thing about old people, they make me sad) At that point, I wanted to leave and go home, but we had walked out there and by Gosh we were going home with produce!! So we continued with our shopping until this American woman came up to us in the checkout line and started asking a million questions....where are you from? How long have you been here?? In a 2 minute span, I knew everything about this woman and her husband. She just kept talking! And then she tells me, I can walk and talk if you have somewhere to go. URG!!!! I just wanted to have a nice walk and buy some produce. So much for that. My last mistake was going to GAP where we had another situation....
Then, we went home. I was so exhausted from being so OVERWHELMED! People just suck the life right out of me. Am I just losing my patience with age???
5 comments:
Next time, point to your ear and say loudly, "No unnerstan, No unnerstan".
But, I know what you mean! Personal space!!! And sometimes, you just want to have that alone-ness!!
How come you didn't share your Gap story. You left us hangin'. I would have felt the exact same way. I can't have someone in my space like that either. It makes me very uncomfortable. Better luck next time or maybe you should just stick to the commisary.
Yeah, what happened at Gap? That is terrible. I am sorry that happened to you. They don't know much about personal space here anyway. It comes from years of riding on the train. lol
Hmmm. Boundaries. Boundaries are nice. I hate it when random people share too much. I know all sorts of stuff about my upstairs neighbor that I wish I didn't. Sometimes when I have to walk past her in the parking lot I put my phone to my ear so she'll think I'm listening to someone. It seems to work.
Yeah what happened at Gap? Not that I mind--anything to keep you out of there;) I think ur getting old, and inpatient. You have a gift, people love--LOVE to talk to you. Me on the other hand, no one likes talking to me, hell I find it difficult to talk to myself. The old guy was probably was Japanese Navy, I doubt he was upset but who knows. Sorry you have to deal with it by ur self, if I was there I would have protected you. I think I can handle an 80-90 year old… I think.
Post a Comment