I've been working on my anger and I'm proud of myself today.
I was carrying a bag in each hand, full of delicate items. Walking slowly and deliberately. Honestly if it was my own stuff, I would have just stacked it in one hand and marched on but this was for someone else.
So yeah. Slowly walking to my car, I opened the passenger door and gently set the stuff on the seat.
I started organizing them in a way that they wouldn't fall over while I drive – then I looked behind me to see a lady in the next car over staring at me. I thought I was in her way so I stopped what I was doing, closed my door, stood against my car to make room and gestured to her as if to say, "Are you trying to go? Am I too close to your car?" If she wanted me to, I was ready to move even more out of the way for a sec.
She looked slightly irritated and started speaking loudly through the window. I didn't understand what she was saying because, to tell the truth, she did have room to move but she was just sitting there, and her gestures didn't make sense to me.
Then she rolled her window down and shouted (mind you this was close enough to just talk quietly), "Get in your car!!! I'm waiting for you to move so I can park safely!!! I'm not leaving, we're staying here!!! I'm waiting for you to move!!!"
Now I was even more confused because here I am trying to make sure something in my car won't roll around or fall over when I drive, and this lady is just staring at me. If I recall right, I even asked her if she was moving. She clearly wasn't. She was already parked in a valid parking spot, she hadn't moved the whole time I was slowly approaching our cars before, if she wanted to park somewhere else, she could have rolled away slowly without endangering me, and if she wanted to stay, she could have done that too. But she was just staring at me and expecting something. Plus shouting, "I'm staying here!!! I'm not moving!!!" convinces me that I'm not in the way. So at this point I have no idea what she's irritated about or what she needs me to do!
But even though she shouted at me, I didn't get angry. I just confusedly said, Oh. Uh... okay! Thank you! Decided to make things simpler by just doing what she said and getting in my car and organizing the stuff from there. It's slightly harder but maybe better instead of standing outside.
And when I was done, the lady hadn't moved her car. She had just gotten out and started walking to the plaza. Car in the same spot as when she was shouting at me and telling me to get in my car. Wtf. 😵💫
But I didn't flip out and insult a lady or yell at lady like I probably would have done before because I've been practicing just seeing things as non-personal. I hate being yelled or shouted at, it makes me anxious, but I just handled it as politely as I could, and afterward, I ended up laughing about it.
It was really funny the way she rolled her window down and said, "GET IN YOUR CAR!!!" 🤣 Okay fine I can do my thing in there, too. 🤣
Am I dumb for not understanding her? Idk maybe. At least I'm not mad or anxious. 😇
So yeah. Slowly walking to my car, I opened the passenger door and gently set the stuff on the seat.
I started organizing them in a way that they wouldn't fall over while I drive – then I looked behind me to see a lady in the next car over staring at me. I thought I was in her way so I stopped what I was doing, closed my door, stood against my car to make room and gestured to her as if to say, "Are you trying to go? Am I too close to your car?" If she wanted me to, I was ready to move even more out of the way for a sec.
She looked slightly irritated and started speaking loudly through the window. I didn't understand what she was saying because, to tell the truth, she did have room to move but she was just sitting there, and her gestures didn't make sense to me.
Then she rolled her window down and shouted (mind you this was close enough to just talk quietly), "Get in your car!!! I'm waiting for you to move so I can park safely!!! I'm not leaving, we're staying here!!! I'm waiting for you to move!!!"
Now I was even more confused because here I am trying to make sure something in my car won't roll around or fall over when I drive, and this lady is just staring at me. If I recall right, I even asked her if she was moving. She clearly wasn't. She was already parked in a valid parking spot, she hadn't moved the whole time I was slowly approaching our cars before, if she wanted to park somewhere else, she could have rolled away slowly without endangering me, and if she wanted to stay, she could have done that too. But she was just staring at me and expecting something. Plus shouting, "I'm staying here!!! I'm not moving!!!" convinces me that I'm not in the way. So at this point I have no idea what she's irritated about or what she needs me to do!
But even though she shouted at me, I didn't get angry. I just confusedly said, Oh. Uh... okay! Thank you! Decided to make things simpler by just doing what she said and getting in my car and organizing the stuff from there. It's slightly harder but maybe better instead of standing outside.
And when I was done, the lady hadn't moved her car. She had just gotten out and started walking to the plaza. Car in the same spot as when she was shouting at me and telling me to get in my car. Wtf. 😵💫
But I didn't flip out and insult a lady or yell at lady like I probably would have done before because I've been practicing just seeing things as non-personal. I hate being yelled or shouted at, it makes me anxious, but I just handled it as politely as I could, and afterward, I ended up laughing about it.
It was really funny the way she rolled her window down and said, "GET IN YOUR CAR!!!" 🤣 Okay fine I can do my thing in there, too. 🤣
Am I dumb for not understanding her? Idk maybe. At least I'm not mad or anxious. 😇
