Kill 'em with Kindness....

Last week I made a quick shopping trip to Trader Joe's in Wellesley. I don't usually go to this particular location, but I was in the area. I noticed a car just outside of the lot entrance pulled over not doing anything. I thought perhaps the woman in the car was just waiting for someone. Who knows.

Anyway, I drove past her and pulled into a spot. I checked out my rear-view mirror and noticed the same car zoom behind me and the driver raised her arm in this sort of "WTF-is-your-problem-ms-red-car-biotch" way (yes I have a little red car). I realized then that she was not really pulled over as I had previously thought; she was in fact waiting to turn right to park in the lot. So I had cut her off. Oops.

Alright, so I got out of my car, walked into the store, and saw her. Late 20's/early 30's, blonde, dressed like she has a "real" day job...you get the idea. And she gave me the dirtiest look ever. Think middle-school-maddogging. "Yowzah," I thought. "She be a pissed lady!"

Without even thinking too much, I walked up to her, put on my friendliest bright smile and said, "I am SO sorry, I totally cut you off back there! I thought you were just pulled over and I didn't realize until after you drove past me that you were waiting to go into the lot! I apologize..." Her expression softened, she gave me a little smile and said, "Thanks.... it's alright..."

Ha! She probably didn't expect that.

I almost felt like I was observing myself as a third person going through the actions of smiling and apologizing to a pretty livid stranger. Very odd yet kind of cool feeling. Try it some time. Next time someone flips you off on the road, blow them a kiss! (although that usually just pisses them off....but it is sort of fun...)