I have to relate this strange experience I had leaving the grocery store - sort of longish, sorry

[ashling]

Last edited Mon Mar 11, 2013, 07:43 PM - Edit history (1)

The trip to the store started out ok.

I decided to get a haircut first because it has been 2 or 3 months and I was beginning to feel pretty shaggy. So I pulled up to the Pro Cuts and there were no other vehicles in front. I thought this is pretty promising so I went in and all of the "operators" were standing around the cash register just waiting for me to come in. Well, I gues technically they weren't waiting for me to come in, but for some customer to show up - preferably one with as shaggy a head of hair as mine.

One of the operators showed me to her station and I sat down. I don't know why they are called operators because they weren't on the telephone or anything, but right there on her little sign it said "Cosmetology operator" So I guess what I saw when I came in (see the previous paragraph) was "operators standing by."


me yesterday

me after my new haircut

Anyway, I got a pretty good haircut (#5 blend) as you can see. It must have made me look young - or maybe it was because I had blue jean shorts on - because an older lady that was coming out of the store looked at me, smiled, and said "spring break." Well, thank goodness I am way past high school, but I felt pretty good.

The strangeness started when I was pushing my cart to the car. I got to my car just as a lady was pushing her cart past mine to the next car. She must have looked at the stickers on mine _ I have an "I like Obamacare" sticker on the rear window - because she said - out of the blue, as it were, "I don't like Obamacare."

As I said, I was in a pretty good mood so I said cheerfully, "Well, that's your right", expecting to engage her in some question and answer on the topic. She didn't say anything, so as I started putting my things in the back of my car I simply said, "well, you'll thank me later" - which is a retort I use to people who make snide remarks about my voting for Obama (people like my next door neighbor).

After a few moments she said "My mother was a staunch Democrat - I don't know what I am ... they're all the same" and then trailed into some mumble that I couldn't make out, but I think I heard "good for nothing" or something like that.

At that point I was starting to take my cart over to the little cart hotel on the other side of the and just down row. I noticed that she was just finishing getting all of her things in her car so I politely asked her if she would like me to put her cart up as well. She replied "I'll take care of it, and I responded "Oh, alright."

There was no more conversation so I got in the car and cranked the car up. She got into her car which was right next to mine, but I was already to go so as soon as I saw that she was in her car and had closed the door so I could safely back up. I put it in reverse and started back.

At just that moment a car crossed behind me and I hit the brake. As I started back, a pickup truck crossed, so I stopped again and sighed. All of this time I was watching behind me, so I had no idea what she was doing. When the pickup drove on by I started back when out of nowhere she had gotten in back of my car. She was writing down something.

I put it in park and turned the ignition off. I got out of the car and confronted her. "Is there something wrong - Have I done something to offend you? I was very polite, but intended to find out what her problem was."

She got in her car - which I then noticed was kind of beat up - and rolled her window about halfway up. I asked her again
and she said that I had said"you said I'd thank you later and I am not going to let you mess with me... mumble, mumble"

"Ma'am." I replied, reminding her of what she had said to start the conversation, "You said you didn't like Obama care ... I was simply saying that in the long run you will find that you are glad that we have it."

I'm not sure if she heard anything because she was waving her arms and saying "just leave me alone" and she started backing out.

So I got back in my car and after she had left I backed out and left, finishing my thought to myself "because you will appreciate the mental health benefit."

So somewhere in Cleburne there is a delusional woman who has my license plate number and probably some words from my bumper stickers.

[Hoyt]

1. Obama stickers set off the right wingers. I have unused ones to last decades.

I'll have one on all my vehicles as long as I drive.

Good response, and glad cranky winger's response wasn't worse.

[LeftofObama]

2. She is the one who initiated the conversation when she said,

"I don't like Obamacare." You were just fulfilling your part of the conversation. There are RWNJ's all over the town I live in. I usually just roll my eyes and go on about my business.

[ashling]

3. The part that scared me - or startled at lesst

was that I had started the ignition and started back twice. She surely saw this, but jumped in back of me to write this down. at first I didn't see her because she was crouched down.

I could have killed her.

I hope she doesn't jump out in front of a moving car to right something down!

The other thing that scares me - now that I think of it - is that she could have had a gun inside her bubble.

[Populist_Prole]

4. In that little exchange, you won. Believe me

At the end of the day ( damn I hate that phrase....so why am I using it? ) it's you that are no worse off than you were, and it's her that is all the more bitter; undoubtedly more then even her usual stuff. On top of that her utter pettiness writ so large that she had to "scare" you and somehow ruin your day by writing down your tag number to at least appear to "go down swinging" was a major fail....and she damned well knows it.

Think about it: You just figuratively kicked a conservative bully's ass just by being there and being honest.

[struggle4progress]

5. There are plenty of crazies out there. I would have left it at "Well, that's your right"

I've knocked a lot of doors and approached a lot of folk in parking lots when doing political work, and I regularly find that a small fraction of the population is just itching for an opportunity to turn a pleasant conversation into something else

Last spring, I was trying to get folk to vote against a constitutional amendment on the primary ballot. On the next to last house on my list in one subdivision, I rang the doorbell, got no answer, and left a door hanger. Then I did the same for the last house on my list in that neighborhood: ring! no answer ... doorhanger. As I was walking back to my car, the door of the next-to-last house opened and a woman asked if I had knocked her door. I said something generic about voting in the primary. She yelled back that it was illegal to solicit in that neighborhood. I should have simply said "You have a great day, ma'am!" but instead I said "I'm not soliciting. I'm encouraging people to vote." Just replying to her set her off: I got a tirade about how it was illegal to solicit here and she was going to call the police! She was going to call the police! She was really trying to pick a fight. And (of course), not only was I most definitely not soliciting, I knew there weren't even any No Soliciting signs in her neighborhood. I said something vague like "Thank you, ma'am!" and drove off to the next neighborhood on my list, not doubt convincing her that she had frightened me away and so reinforcing her tendency to go off the rails again the next time anybody else was on her cul-de-sac doing two minutes of political work. Yeah, I should have just said "You have a great day, ma'am!" and ignored her

Last fall, I was working a neighborhood, offering folk an opportunity to register to vote and information about where to vote. Walking up one guy's driveway, I started asking the fellow if he was registered to vote, and he told me to get out of his yard. So I said, "You have a great day, sir!" and started walking back. He shouted after me, "Why are you always coming around here?" I should have ignored it, but (while continuing to walk down the driveway), I turned my head and shot back, "I don't think I've never been here before, sir." I went to the next house, but just replying to him set him off. He followed me down the driveway then went to my car and started copying stuff down. I kept knocking doors. Eventually, when I was a few blocks away, the police circled me a few times on a cul-de-sac, but it was incredibly obvious I was just doing standard election work, so they went their way after a few slow drive-by check-outs

[siligut]

6. The weather change can make people paranoid

Maybe it is allergies, but spring can bring out the crazy. Your hair looks good

[hobbit709]

7. I would have written down her license number. That way if anything happened later

you could have given the police a starting point.

[ashling]

8. Good point

She probably would have run me down LOL


Where were you when I needed you?

[Loryn]

9. I live in the red part of a blue state -

Art Robinson country. I have only voiced my political leanings to a few people here. This is gun country. These folks are convinced Obama will take their guns.

Some day I'll be in Portland. I'll do my best to smile till then, but there are scary people in these parts.

[ashling]

10. I used to live in the country in Llano County, TX

with all sorts of anti Bush and pro Kerry stuff on my pickup.

I had a guy drive up to me while I was getting gas at a convenience store (the closest one to home - 21 miles)
He says: "are you really goin' t'vote for Kerry."
"Yes," I replied, "I believe I will"
His insightful comment :

"You piece of shit!"

my reply

"Do you feel better now? I hope that made you feel better, because it made you look sort of bad..."

Then, as I recall, I asked him something about his mother (maybe its just my aging memory)

He hemmed and hawed and mumbled "have a good day." and drove off.


Actually, I felt like every day I didn't get shot at was a good day!

[ashling]

11. OK, I feel sort of bad, so let me set things straight

The truth is I lied in the op.

Well, I didn't really lie, I just didn't tell the truth ... that is, I stretched it jest a little ... I embellished is what I did

(as Geoffrey says in a Knight's Tale, "I gave the truth scope&quot

So here's the thing:

You know how I said "I have to relate this strange experience?"


Well, the truth is,

I didn't have to, I just did!

I mean nobody twisted my arm or anything . . .

so, I'm sorta glad I got that cleared up ...







Not really.

[petronius]

12. Well see now I just don't know what to believe Maybe you didn't even get a haircut

and the two pictures are out of order and your hair is just getting longer and longer and a few months from now you'll pop out and say Ha Ha Suckers! I didn't get a haircut and look at me I'm freakin' Rapunzel! Could happen...

But it was a nice haircut, whenever you got it, and that lady was a freak, so I'm glad I read your story - even if you didn't absolutely have to write it. It had all the elements: adventure, surprise, conflict, pathos, and twist after the ending...

[ashling]

13. I'm glad you enjoyed it

[BlueJazz]

14. Your problems are only starting. That woman was a part of my secret agent team...and also..

...You know those medicine bottles you have on display on your bottom picture. ??
Yep..we've enlarged the name and all the information and now we know everything about you.
We are always on the lookout for you "Obamacare" people but you knew that already or you wouldn't have tried to change your appearance with this "Haircut thing" and going to all the trouble to change shirts....mmmmmm

[ashling]

15. The jig is up - must recall team in fireld ....

Calling all Wombats

the Jackal has ears!

repeat:

the Jackal has ears!

Red Falcon flies at dawn . . . .

[Manifestor_of_Light]

16. Damn! Blow me down!!

You mean there's a good-looking liberal man in Cleburne, Texas????

Can I pass out and die now???

Dude, I live in Redneckistan East Texas (Houston County) and it is HELL here. Lots of angry white guys are just itching for an argument. You can't say anything. I've had several butt in and make rude arguments about going to hell, telling me I have to have faith and they'll pray for me, etc.....



I'm taken (happily married) but you made me smile.

Some guy on TV said our country is more divided than it was at the beginning of the Civil War. I believe it.

[ashling]

17. Well, thanks for the "good looking" remark

though don't feel that you have to lie just because I did (see # 11 above)



Anyway, my wife and I have been hanging on tight to each other for 32 years and I don't figure we are going to stop now.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

18. I'm glad you're happy!

Tell your wife she's a lucky woman.
I've been with my soulmate I met when I was middle-aged, 19 years ago this spring.

[Duer 157099]

19. All I can say is

nice haircut!

Edit: crap, now I feel guilty too. That isn't all I can say. I guess we all embellish the truth.

[Dash87]

20. She sounds crazy. I wouldn't worry about it.

[TuxedoKat]

21. Hmmm...

I would have written hers down if I saw her writing down mine, discreetly though. Just for protection. in case something weird happened. Hope she doesn't make any trouble for you.