I was at the post office earlier today and I couldn't remember an address. I immediately dialed my aunt on my cell phone for the information and I continued talking with her while I stood in line. Eventually our conversation turned into a discussion about money and my mother and my upcoming interview in a different state. I glanced up during a rather emotional monologue and I noticed that the lady standing in front of me was shaking her head at me disapprovingly. I couldn't see her face, but I'm sure she was rolling her eyes too.
Because I now had an audience - not to mention one that didn't really seem to approve of the show - I calmed down and tried to make myself seem like a more sympathetic character. I’m not sure why I had this reaction to annoying someone. I mean who cares, right? She was obviously eavesdropping. I wasn't counting on having an audience. And anyway, I don’t think I should have to explain myself to a stranger in a post office. My aunt knew exactly what I was talking about and she was agreeing with me. And besides that, I was just venting. Something that I'm sure the lady at the post office was guilty of doing a time or two.
Then I thought that maybe the lady wasn't disapproving of my conversation so much as the fact that I was having it in the post office. Maybe she's one of those people who hate cell phones, especially their use in public places. She was older... that was probably what her problem was. This made me feel better... for a minute.
Then I realized that no matter what her reason was, she was still disapproving of me, passing judgment on me and my life. How dare she!? I mean really. Except... well, I do the same thing everyday. I mean, let's be honest, who hasn't gotten annoyed at someone they're standing next to in line? It happens. This was different though, because I was the annoyee. I'm sure I have been many times before too, but to see it like that... right out in front of me, while it's happening... well, I didn’t like it at all.
I guess the thing that I learned from all of this was not cell phone etiquette, nor was it that I shouldn’t change my story for a complete stranger. What I learned at the post office was that people are annoying. And none of us are an exception. I know you think you are the one exception… but you're not. It’s human nature to be annoying, just as it’s human nature to be annoyed. But the "human nature" thing, that’s the funniest part. We tend to think of those strangers who annoy us during the course of the day as kind of less than human, just so it’s easier to hate them. But everyone of us is that stranger, every one has been hated just for going about our day in our own way.
Maybe the next time I'm annoyed by some hapless stranger, I won't silently curse them or roll my eyes at them. Maybe I'll give them the benefit of the doubt…maybe I'll remember that they're human too. And the next time I'm standing in line at the post office, maybe I'll keep my cell phone off and avoid annoying someone else. I probably won't though, because hey...I'm only human.
