Tales from the Trenches: Invisible

Do you ever feel that people don't see you?

Please understand that I'm not suggesting that we are the center of everyone's universe all the time and forever. That's not at all what I'm talking about.

I pulled down our road and there were several concrete vehicles (mixer, pick-ups and whatnot) down one side of the road. There was a gentleman, we affectionately call them pickers, with a truck and trailer on the other side of the road. That made for a very narrow passage, except for the fact that he was bent into his window looking for something, blocking the road. This went on for about 5 minutes. I did not honk, but really wanted to. When he looked up, he gave me a weird look and waved his arm at me like it had been all clear for years. If I had tried to pass through, I would have smooshed him into the truck door, yet he was mad at me.

We were out shopping for new kitchen lighting fixtures on Saturday. We found what we wanted at Lowe's, but wanted to double check a mom and pop just to give them a fair shake. When we went to leave the parking lot, K- said that she wasn't fully strapped in. I stopped at the end of a parking aisle to let her finish. (Equivalent to being the end cap on a grocery store shelf.) We had a van pull up and almost run me over so that they could have the front space right. next. to. me. I had to actually back up to get around the van. Hubs laughed. "Um, is it just me or did he just try to drive over you?" I told him that I was glad that he was there, because I'm certain he wouldn't have believed me otherwise. No, I didn't honk or say anything.

When we walk in the evenings, when people are coming from the opposite direction, we remind K- to "skinny in." More often than not, we are run off the sidewalk altogether by folks who decide to walk "stuck togedder" (K- speak) instead of making room for us. I told Hubs that it is like playing sidewalk chicken and I always chicken out.

I've had older women run me over and yell at me when standing in line at a school function, waiting to get in to be seated.

I had kids that were fundraising all laughing together and talking with their advisor that had the door to the grocery blocked. I admit that I gave them a frustrated look that their advisor must have seen, because he did have them part the seas.

I'm short. People reach over me. People just walk ahead of me in line sometimes.

When we were at the Franklin Park Conservatory, we were in their glass house for their butterfly release. Hubs watched a guy walk all the way up from the back to about where I was standing. We were up front and K- was watching the lady take butterflies out. She was giving details about them before releasing them. I was taking photos as I was standing there when all of a sudden, an arm reaches in front of me with a camera and just starts taking pictures of the butterfly lady. Never mind that I was standing there with my husband and child taking photos. Hubs said that he was about 2" away from me and that he had his arm around me to shield me from being plowed over.

Folks are physically incapable of holding doors open. I hate that they skinny in the door so that they don't actually have to spend that extra 2 seconds trying to do nice for someone behind them. (This always happens at Kohl's.) This happens all the time, but it was most irritating when I had K- in the stroller.

What about you? Do you feel invisible sometimes?

Smiles in my day:
- Hubs and K- had a great Happy Daddy Day together.
- Our butterfly is now all cozy in its chrysalis and will be a butterfly in about a week.

Have a great day!