Those People

People are overly fond of talking about "those people". You know, the ones who irritate, annoy, and aggravate us to varying degrees. We shake our heads, wondering who let them out of the house unsupervised.

In recent weeks, I have become increasingly aggravated by those people who walk through parking lots like they are still in their cars. Seemingly oblivious to the very large vehicles that could mow them down with little more than a "thunk"ing sound, they meander down the rows heading to or from the mall/store/medical office/movie theatre/restaurant without a care - or thought, it seems - in their heads. All too often of late, I have found myself cruising the parking lot at less than one km/h while I wait for those people to either realize I am behind them, or reach a point where they are out of harm's way. I admit it, I am tempted in moments to get as close as I can behind them without hitting them, then lean on the horn to announce that yeah, there is a vehicle behind them that could smoosh them so undelicately into the pavement. I have yet to do it, but the temptation has been there.

Until yesterday.

I stopped to pick up a few groceries after my workout. My hips were aching, and I had to park halfway across the parking lot. As I was making my way towards the doors, thinking only of getting there as directly as possible, I had a horrific realization.

I was walking down the middle of the row, albeit on the right side, going with the flow of traffic. Now, there was no one behind me, but I was so oblivious with my own pain that I probably would not have noticed if there had been.

I have become, even if it is only temporarily, one of 'those people'.

Dammity.