it is true... we communicate differently

the other day I had the pleasure of staying home with my four year old son Grant
he was home from school sick... to our pleasure... he was not so sick that we were not able to have some fun

the day started with some Thomas the Tank Engine wooden track

we merged the wooded track with the big oak blocks
the track had a father's touch but was not built without a child's assistance
Grant made little wooden structures of various intent
many were meant as cages for various animals while others were garages for cars
this occupied a good bit of the morning


eventually we were dressed and out of the house in search of food
Grant was pushing for Chipotle... I told him that his body wanted Matzo ball soup
so we pointed the car towards the Parkway Deli
as expected Grant filled up on baby corn from the pickle bar
I was pleased with the amount of soup that he ate
and not shocked by his return visits to the pickle bar
by the time we left Grant was showing some of the signs of his cold and wanted to go home
we would head home... but only after we picked up some pumpkins for Dean's class

as I drove towards the grocery store Grant objected to our trajectory

Grant was confident that we were not headed home
Grant was right

we stopped at the Giant and I loaded Grant into one of the shopping carts with a plastic car attached
this suited Grant fine

then before entering the grocery store there was a display of very large pumpkins... THREE FOR 15 DOLLARS!
this seemed like quite a deal for pumpkins so large

I parked our car/cart in front of the pumpkin display and looked for some smaller pumpkins
as I browsed through the pumpkins a women just ahead made a nasty expression with a hand gesture
I could read her non-verbal communication... "I am a Bitch from Bethesda... and you are in my way!"

I used actual words and spoke, "I am shopping here..." then I moved my cart an inch back so that she could easily squeeze by... then I gestured and told her that she could fit past...
she made a face and then told me that I should be a better roll model for my child
I told her that I never asked to interact with her

we went our separate ways... she more than likely left thinking to herself... ASSHOLE!
while I walked away thinking... WOMEN!

if only I had a video camera of her initial approach
if I could play that back to her
would she like someone communicating with her like that?
it is the classic case of the different languages of men and women

I was fully in my right to slow and shop
after all... it is the grocery store... and I was there to buy something... in fact... I stopped at the display to find what I was looking for... pumpkins
perhaps she should direct her gripe to the designers of the sidewalk who made things too narrow when passing the pillars for two carts to pass with ease

as it turned out these pumpkins were too large
it seemed like a good deal... but... I fought the Jack and the Bean Stalk scenario and stayed the course for six medium sized pumpkins as requested

after a quick stroll through the interior of the grocery store I learned that those were the only pumpkins that they had for sale
so I took my business down the road to Safeway...
where I found both medium and large size pumpkins

while in both Giant and Safeway I encountered a good number of people moving a different pace than me as well as a good number of people who slowed, stopped, and blocked my path
I made certain that I did not behave like the women I had encountered earlier