Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

I often wonder why people are so mean sometimes. There are a number of reasons why someone could be upset at any given time of the day, but why do they have to take it out on others? I guess today was my turn to be the proverbial punching bag for everyone I encountered, because I had an abnormal amount of "why can't we all just get along?" moments before 1 pm even rolled around. Typically, they tend to spread themselves out nicely so there isn't too much attention called to how crappy some people treat each other ... but, not today.

You know things are pretty bad when you have to make a decision about turning your blinker on when changing lanes on the freeway, fearing that if you obey they law, the jerk next to you will either annoyingly speed up and change lanes like they want to play games (trust me, fellow drivers, I do not) or they keep a comfortable pace next to you, receiving some sort of smug satisfaction from you missing your exit. Why? Why are you so mean?! Do you get to work, sit down at your desk and think about how cool or fun or satisfying it was to be an ass before 8 am? If so, mission accomplished. If your life is maybe not going so great at the moment, I'm sorry ... it happens to the best of us. But how does making me late for work help that situation? Rude.

My interpersonal interactions only gets more obnoxious as this day progresses. I had to run to the pharmacy on my lunch break, which is exactly 45 minutes long (thanks, UCSD, for being so generous). Going about 5 miles an hour in the parking lot, I turn the corner right when a girl runs out in front of me. I slam on my breaks, she gifts me with an obscene gesture. What? I stopped didn't I? I don't like that your bitchy attitude makes me want to lift my foot off that pedal and see what happens. Stop making me into that kind of person. I don't appreciate it! After that wonderful experience, I got to be obviously ignored by the one person working at the pharmacy. Man, I know you see me. You can at least acknowledge my presence. I have limited time and I drove all the way here ... are you in that terrible of a mood that you have to glance toward me, back to your computer screen (which probably has solitaire on it) and then pretend to act busy? "Just a minute" or "Be right there" isn't that difficult ... I don't want to bug you by disrupting whatever you're working on, but I will.

Later, while waiting at the stop light on my way back to work, out of approximately 10 pedestrians crossing in front of me, all of them left an elderly woman struggling with five bags of groceries to awkwardly cross the street. In turn, when she wasn't to the other side by the time the light turned green, more than one person honked. Honked! Dude, she is like 75 years old and enduring strenuous cardiovascular exercise while holding at least 10 pounds of dead weight. Stop being mean! Why don't you focus all of that asshole energy into doing something useful or kind or positive in this world? And speaking of alternative energy sources ... I think I'm onto something here ...

So far, today was a beast. A beast I'm trying to fight off before it completely takes over me. People, stop being horrible to each other ... I don't want it to rub off, making me become like you!