LIFE RIGHT NOW â—½ YOU
Some people are just mean. They do or say rude things to another person for no reason. Not that there’s really ever a reason to be purposefully unkind. But it happens. It’s terrible when somebody we know - maybe a family member, a friend, or a colleague – is the perpetrator of the meanness, but it’s bizarre when the malevolent behavior is thrashed upon us by a total and complete stranger! Like the time a stranger’s nasty comment was tossed in my direction.
It was a Sunday spent like any other. My husband and I were quietly strolling through the aisles of Costco after church. We were minding our own business, filling our cart with gigantic packages of toilet paper and huge boxes of Ziploc freezer bags, as well as a giant container of M&M’s we didn’t need, when my ears perked up. “Mrs. Frizzle,” uttered with a laugh came from a voice behind me. As the owner of the voice slithered up beside us in the aisle it became apparent that she was facetiming with another lady and I was the topic of this callous conversation! Glancing at the woman’s phone I noticed she was showing my outfit to her friend while they giggled, comparing me to the eccentric character from The Magic School Bus series. And not in a nice way.
The Magic School Bus is a series of children’s books (and later a ‘90’s cartoon) featuring a kooky teacher, Mrs. Frizzle, known for wearing wacky dresses. Believe me. I am well aware that my typical fashion style could be interpreted as similar to this beloved book character. Most days will find me in a mid-century style dress covered in a splashy, bright colored print, poofed out with a petticoat, and finished off with shiny bow-topped shoes worn in a snazzy shade. Not the comfortably casual clothes worn by most other Sunday shoppers, but it’s me. Fashion is fun! And I don’t dress this way in an effort to seek attention, but sometimes my outfits do cause others to comment. I’ve been compared to Mrs. Frizzle before (which is why my ears tuned in when I heard her name), but it’s usually complimentary, like “Oh my goodness, I love your dress! It’s like something Mrs. Frizzle would wear!” And I love that! No ill intent detected.
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But with the facetiming mean girls, er, women, at Costco, their words, their laughter, their tone…the fact that when she noticed me noticing her and still didn’t stop the catty commentary, well…it hurt my feelings. Why was my outfit so incredibly jarring to this lady that she felt it necessary to facetime a friend about it, I wondered. Why was this lady so intent on being rotten to a stranger? Even the sweet compliments sent my way from other shoppers, while we continued to venture up and down the rows of over-sized boxes of cereal, books, and other sundries, didn’t erase that lady’s unwarranted behavior. At least not right away. Luckily, I know in my heart it’s only God I need to please – not some random sweatpants wearing lady at Costco.
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The world can be a tough place to maneuver sometimes. And while overhearing a nasty fashion critique isn’t the worst thing that can happen on a Sunday outing, I wrote about it for several reasons. First as a reminder to choose kindness. To remember the golden rule: “If you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.” Second, to show that even middle-aged women aren’t immune to hurt feelings when on the receiving end of the dreaded “mean girl” behavior. It stings. And most importantly, when we do find ourselves absorbing the hateful words launched our way, to always look towards God. Don’t let anybody’s vicious words seep into our souls.