A friend / co-worker and I were talking when she shared how a woman had snapped at her in front of her children while she was out and about last week. My friend was sharp in tone with her response and then afterward was feeling bad and questioning if she reacted the right way. I shared with her a similar story that happened to me just last week where I did the exact same thing.

My two girls have very long school days. Up at 6AM and getting ready, I drop them off at the bus stop so they hit the road by 7:30AM and I pick them up after their tennis and cross country at 6:15PM. Can you say busy young girls? I meet them at local Circle K that's right next to the bus stop, where with my 6 year old in tow, we usually grab something to drink and a quick munchie. They haven't eaten anything since lunch and it's still going to be a bit before dinner.

Well on this particular day, we all wanted something. The girls usually grab a gatorade, I love green tea and my boy digs his chocolate milk anytime of the day. One daughter picked a protien bar and the other a small bag of chips. My son LOVES thoses Slim Jims and it just so happened that I had a sweet tooth day that doesn't happen too often, but I feed my cravings. Oh yes, and a pack of gum. We go to pay for our goodies minding our own business when the cashier, who happens to be a man of  much larger size, looks at me and says, "Think you can get any more junk food??"  Ummm... Excuse me??? At first in confusion I turned to the line behind me and yea.... no one was laughing or even smiling for that matter. Neither was I. Now on another day this might have rolled right off my back and I would have shrugged it off like nothing. Not this day. I instantly felt attacked and judged as a mother by the nutritional (or lack of) value of what was being purchased at a convinence store. A little sound went "snap" in my brain and I lashed out in a harsh tone. "You want to tell me just what you've eaten today buddy?" Who is this guy I thought to myself and did he forget just where he was working? To my amazement, the man ACTUALLY told me what he had eaten. Pizza, sodas, puddings, hotdogs and the list went on. "How about you just worry about what you're eating then and not my family." I say as I'm taking my change. Grrrrr  that guy fired me up with one little comment.

Now my oldest daughter of 13 seemed to be a little embarrassed by my response and gave me the "MMMOMMMMM.... I think he was just kidding." as we were getting in the car. Honestly?? I didn't care. I thought it was rude and really what business is it of his no matter WHAT I buy in there?!? Now once I calmed dowm and thought about it  I may have been a little sharp in my response and I should have just left it alone. Maybe it wasn't what I said but rather HOW I said it. Then again, maybe HOW he said it to me is what started it. Actually I still think it was both what and how he said it.  What do ya think? Was I the rude one??