All Out

At the airport, as we were preparing to leave, I was standing in line to get my boarding pass. Linus was strapped to my back, kicking me in the kidneys, strangling me with one hand and ripping my hair out with the other. I'm digging through the carry-on I have over my shoulder even though it weighs at least 30 pounds, when I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Can I cut in front of you?" says the woman behind me who has just cut the rest of the line to reach the spot behind me.

I just stared at her, unable to respond. She explained, "I just have to ask a question about my son. It won't take long."

I continued to stare recalling the scene I just witnessed. It involved a line dividing strap that came loose and snapped her in the back. The person who accidentally released it with a bump of a bag was apologizing profusely as she was carrying on about how badly it has hurt her. A strap I might add that wouldn't have hit her if she hadn't squeezed in that spot in order to bypass the others waiting in line.

She repeats her question a little louder this time, "Can I cut in front of you?"

I looked at her and in a fashion very much unlike myself, replied, "No. We've been waiting in line and I'm next."

My reasoning was simple. I was ready to move. Linus was ready to move. I wanted to get my boarding passes, dump my checked luggage, and move on to the next leg of our journey.

Perhaps if I hadn't just witnessed her rudeness to all the other waiting people, or perhaps if Linus hadn't been kicking me in the kidneys, or perhaps if I wasn't feeling empty of generosity, I probably would have said yes. But I didn't. I said no. She asked, didn't she?

I'd like to say this story ends here. She patiently waited her turn while I attained my boarding pass, but it doesn't. Somehow you knew it didn't.

She proceeds to rant at me. "How very generous of you. You are just so kind. My son is over there in the other line and I just need to know if we need to be in this line. I've waited in line too you know. You are just all kindness, aren't you?"

Ignoring her the best I could, I prepared to move as my turn approached. Out of the corner of my eye, I see she's gone around to the exit area and is speaking with the agent at the counter. I inhale deeply and wait. Honestly, it doesn't take more than a couple of minutes so I just wait. But instead of letting it go at that, she then walks by me and sneers, "I didn't need you anyway."

Let me tell you, I did not regret my decision one bit. A person like that deserves none of my kindness or my patience. I have limited reserves of both of those these days, and she deserved none of them.