“Afloat” Image. Ceres Gallery. New York. Solo Show.
All of you have heard about the disaster on Black Friday, where someone was killed over a parking spot. And there were taser attacks to buy the cheap iPads on that day as well. We have all become so used to (I hate to say this, but,) school shootings, subway bombings and other horrible things, that we live with a certain amount of panic.
I went to the Apple Store the other day to straighten out a computer problem. Since I arrived early, I got a very good parking space. Close to the mall entrance. When I finished my computer work, I walked to my car.
I got there in the rain, schlepping my purse (a nice word for this ten ton bag I carry around), and my seven year old laptop on the other arm. You can imagine how these two heavy bags are wearing grooves in my shoulders. And happy to get to my car, I hoist the stuff in, hoist myself up into my car, and relax. Ah, I can catch up on email and texts while just sitting here for a few minutes, I thought.
That’s when a car pulls up. Understandably so, wanting my choice parking space. I wave him on. But, no. He beeps. Keeps beeping. I am not going to let this guy push me around.
I thought of the shooting on Black Friday. So rather than pull out of the parking space as anyone else would do, I hunker down in my car, still with the phone in my hands. (After all, I am not giving up my only time to check email, am I?) Think about this. I still check email while dodging imaginary bullets! How insane is that?
I come to my senses. Yes, I was going for relaxation, but I don’t think I was getting it. So I get up, grab the ten ton bag. Get out of my car. Lock it. Look this pathetic person right in the eye.
I march back into the mall and buy myself something. Now I have a sweater (and for those of you who know my memory system of linking an event in my life to what I was wearing at the time) that will mark the day this happened.
We all need to be mindful of how terroristic the world in which we live has become, but not to the extent of typing a text while being bullied by road rage. During the Holiday Season!
Hollis Hildebrand-Mills 
A good story.
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Thank you, Ron!
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Way to go! Sometimes it’s not even the thought of shooting it’s the minor unpleasantness that puts us off. You’ve shown us that if you are ballsy enough the other person just has to put up with it.
Love the ballerinas. Going to see The Nutcracker tomorrow.
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Thank you! Enjoy Nutcracker.
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Love the ballerinas, reminds me of Lyla and her performances. I was walking in a parking lot in the rain yesterday (I usually park far away, can’t stand to back up) and someone followed me around and finally asked if I had a close parking space.
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I think people are becoming more aggressive than they used to be. Maybe it’s the fault of the internet. :)( I participate!) People don’t have boundaries like they used to.
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Me too.. Hate all the shooting businesses thingy…sometimes.. i feel that the sales of guns should be ban in US.. (Maybe too strong a statement..) *oops* (okie.. scratch that)
on a happier note.. I love the ballerinas.
thank you for the post today. .
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You are welcome! Thank you for posting!
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Good for you Hollis! I hope that every time you wear whatever it was that you bought that day, it will give you a little added chutzpah. (Not that you need it!)
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Yes, I think it did. A Free People sweater. Not bullet proof though.
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