A couple of days ago, I was at the supermarket. My favorite checkers weren’t on duty, so I did the usual. I shopped the lines, estimated the size of each person’s purchase before me, and chose the line I thought I’d get through the quickest. (Side note: the strategy always fails! The definition of insanity is....) Anyway, the checker was a young woman—polite and friendly. I put my chip card in for payment when finished, and she unilaterally announced, “And a five percent senior discount.”
“But I’m not a senior,” I shot back, smiling. Things went downhill from there.
“You’re not?” she responded with such a loud, incredulous tone that for a moment, my face flushed in anger. Then, I laughed.
Don’t take yourself so seriously, I reminded myself, and drove home chuckling all the way. Guess I don't look 25 anymore. And, to be fair, the supermarket’s “senior discount day” age threshold was 55, and that’s what I’ll be on my next birthday. She wasn’t that far off the mark. But really…did she have to be so dramatic in expressing her surprise? Maybe I’m not really over it. Just kidding.
Faux pas. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve committed one, but I’ll confess, I’ve committed more than my fair share. So, I try to let them pass when I’m the victim, and agonize for days when I perpetrate them.
For example, I’ve learned to never comment on pregnancy unless the woman brings up the topic. Learned that one the hard way. A friend had given birth to her first child two months earlier, and I hadn’t seen her in several months.
“Oh, when are you due?” I asked.
An awkward look came over her face and she changed the subject. Later, someone whispered to me that she had given birth two months earlier. I beat myself up for weeks on that one.
Once on a visit home to the States, I was in a supermarket and ran into someone I hadn’t seen in 20 years.
“Jane, your hair color is different!” were the words of shock that came out of my mouth. Great opening line. Take that back. Miserable opening line.
What about those text messages I’ve sent to the wrong person? Fortunately, none of them have been damaging, but it’s always embarrassing.
The “most delicious” faux pas response came when my brother called Dad, who thought he was talking to me. Dad then made a regrettable statement about my brother. When my brother said, “Dad, it’s me,” and said his name, Dad was totally embarrassed and apologized. My brother had a witty, tongue-in-cheek response.
“Don’t worry about it, Dad. I’ll get over it…eventually.”
“But I’m not a senior,” I shot back, smiling. Things went downhill from there.
“You’re not?” she responded with such a loud, incredulous tone that for a moment, my face flushed in anger. Then, I laughed.
Don’t take yourself so seriously, I reminded myself, and drove home chuckling all the way. Guess I don't look 25 anymore. And, to be fair, the supermarket’s “senior discount day” age threshold was 55, and that’s what I’ll be on my next birthday. She wasn’t that far off the mark. But really…did she have to be so dramatic in expressing her surprise? Maybe I’m not really over it. Just kidding.
Faux pas. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve committed one, but I’ll confess, I’ve committed more than my fair share. So, I try to let them pass when I’m the victim, and agonize for days when I perpetrate them.
For example, I’ve learned to never comment on pregnancy unless the woman brings up the topic. Learned that one the hard way. A friend had given birth to her first child two months earlier, and I hadn’t seen her in several months.
“Oh, when are you due?” I asked.
An awkward look came over her face and she changed the subject. Later, someone whispered to me that she had given birth two months earlier. I beat myself up for weeks on that one.
Once on a visit home to the States, I was in a supermarket and ran into someone I hadn’t seen in 20 years.
“Jane, your hair color is different!” were the words of shock that came out of my mouth. Great opening line. Take that back. Miserable opening line.
What about those text messages I’ve sent to the wrong person? Fortunately, none of them have been damaging, but it’s always embarrassing.
The “most delicious” faux pas response came when my brother called Dad, who thought he was talking to me. Dad then made a regrettable statement about my brother. When my brother said, “Dad, it’s me,” and said his name, Dad was totally embarrassed and apologized. My brother had a witty, tongue-in-cheek response.
“Don’t worry about it, Dad. I’ll get over it…eventually.”
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