Interactions with a short man

So I am waiting to board a plane to St. Louis and I am the very last person in line because I am trying to finish up a business call about the book I have written.

I am engrossed in my conversation and more than a little exhausted after a hellish week and less than three hours of sleep.

That is when I notice the man in front of me mocking me to his buddy, ten ahead inline, to the amusement/chagrin of all the passengers in between.

There might have been a time when I would have been embarrassed or when I would have been silently irate for days.

Today is just said, “Excuse me but I am going to have to call you back. There is an asshole making fun of me.”

The said asshole was seventy percent amused, thirty percent embarrassed and just a whole lot of cocky.

“You know,” he snickered “You don’t have to get louder just because it is harder to hear.” And then as if he was attempting to retain some chivalry he added, “My wife has the same problem.”

“Thank you sooo much!” I swooned. “How would I ever learn the error of my ways if someone like you hadn’t pointed them out to me? My life will never be the same because you were clever enough to belittle me in public. I am forever changed. Really! Thank you so much.”

I may have gone on a little further but this was the basic gist. Funny, how easy it was for him to talk down to a dumb little girl and how quickly he shut up when he realized she had his number.

He huffed and turned around and silently marched eyes forward till he found his seat. His buddy sat two rows behind me and laughed as I approached. “You must be real proud,” I grinned and batted my eye lashes. He just giggled. He head was too far up his own ass to feel like a shmuck.

We can all be assholes and I am not going to pretend like I have never said anything shitty. But when you get called out for acting this way the only decent thing to do is admit it and move on.

This guy will in no way be the last to try to make me feel small but he didn’t succeed and hope it will be a good reminder for all that it is not that fun on the other side.