The Sideways Cart

A few days back I Twittered (Twittered? Tweeted? Twoted?) Anyway, I mentioned my frustration with people who park their carts in the middle of the shopping aisle. I can't shake the image. There was this late 50's woman, cart parked diagonally in the aisle, staring up through her bifocals at the shelves. "How does someone that age not understand how self-centered it is to block off a whole aisle?" I thought to myself.

Now granted, she was not the only person I encountered with their cart smack in the middle of an aisle on that particular shopping trip but her image is burned on my brain and has come to stand for a new concept: some people just have their carts sideways on certain things. What I mean is; if that woman at her age has not learned to consider others while shopping, she probably never will. Maybe she just doesn't think it's a big deal, maybe she disagrees with the concept, maybe she is incapable of understanding the concept. Whatever the reason, that woman will NEVER understand this particular concern of mine. If I approached her and explained that she should change her behavior, she would probably consider me crazy (and I would find her firmly planted in the center of an aisle next week). So why bother stewing about it?

In fact, I think most (if not all) people have their cart sideways about something in life. It could be religion, politics, money or common courtesy while driving. It could be that when someone else frustrates me about an issue it is because I may have MY cart sideways. Anyway, I have found myself shaking my head more than once in the past week and muttering to myself, "Well, he/she just has their cart sideways on that - best to just brush it off and move on down another aisle . . ." And it has actually helped me "deal" a little better. Just thought I would pass it on.

Maybe I am just losing faith in humanity . . .