Thursday, May 6, 2010

“Seriously!! Could you please stop talking?!”

This is my first line to a small group of silly, babbling brook-like teenagers in a movie theater. Of course they were late. Of course it was already dark in the theater. Of course they blocked our view as they tripped their way to their seats not far from ours on the same row. Of course. Of course. Of course. They giggled and chatted long after the trailers were over. It was then I felt this burning sensation spreading through my chest. It grew lighter and lighter until it finally flew out of my mouth. Seriously.

Their babbling brooks did not run again.

I am not the kind of person who calls out people in public, not like that. I’m the one who holds open doors for people, even if they don't say thank you. I’m the one who puts my clothes back on the rack in the department store after I’ve tried them on in the dressing room, no matter how heavy my arm gets as I circle around the store, trying to remember where those things should go. I do these things because I believe in karma. No, really, I do these things because I’m genuinely a nice person.

But you can only be nice for so long.

There comes a time when you need to yell at teenagers in the dark and not feel bad about it. I bet their parents paid for their tickets. On second thought, my guy paid for my ticket, so what am I really complaining about? Oh, it’s the principle of the whole situation. Seriously!