This post is PG13 - Strong language, violent outbursts, sexual references.
During lunch break today, I went into Boots in Trinity centre. As I was walking in the entrance I could not help but notice the long queue. I looked up and it
led to a counter with the sign "Please Pay Here". I walked in further cautiously and noticed the queue stretching to worrying proportions. By the time I reachedthe end of the queue I had made up my mind "I will come back later." I only wanted some vitamin C with Zinc tablets. Not worth spending lunch break in Boots.
While I was walking back a store assistant came from the other side pushing a high cart full of merchandise. I moved aside to let her
pass and was able to witness the interaction between her and the guy on the other side who was standing in the queue. He was an
able-bodied, middle-aged man, holding only one or two small items in his hands. And the girl was a small, young girl maybe 19, if that. Based on the fragments of sentences and the facial expressions I could get this is how the exchange went.
Middle-aged bloke, angrily "Excucse me! Can they not open another counter or something?"
Girl, meekly "I don't know but I will ask, sir."
Middle-aged bloke, with a visual snarl "Would be worthwhile asking, wouldn't it? "
I looked back as I stepped in the aisle again and the look on his face was of pure hatred as if that store girl was responsible for all the problems in his life! I looked to the girl and she looked like somebody had just taken a shot at her! This man had just spoiled her day for her!
Knowing it was useless to say anything I kept my mouth shut and walked away but in my mind I was thinking "You miserable fucking sod! So you have to stand 10 minutes extra in a queu e during the busiest shopping season of the year at the busiest time of the day to buy a gift for someone, so what? What the fuck would you achieve by buying someone a £50 gift? What does it matter if it were a £500 pound gift? If you can't actually spread goodwill and cheer among your fellow humans does it matter if you buy all the gifts in the world for your family?
And that, in case you didn't know, is my problem with Christmas. It's too commercial, it's too themed, it's too narrow.
The message from uncle Sunny is - you may be a great gift-giver and a very generous friend, father or business associate but if you can't be nice to people you are still a wanker!
