Coffee Table Declarations
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
On Saturday afternoon, I was browsing in my local new age bookstore. The one that's located on the main street where everything is. Everything that I can walk to anyway. I picked up a book from a table about the secrets of the Davinci Code or something like that. I was looking at it when suddenly a random creepy guy started talking to me out of nowhere. He was complaining, rather strongly, about the author and how the book was not based on fact (um, duh, it's a novel not an encyclopedia). He started talking about a book that he claimed was fact based, the bible. I started to think that he was one of those religious fanatics that hangs out at new age bookstores waiting to tell people how evil everything is.
Not knowing what to do, I sort of politely nodded and said, "that's a good point" and started to turn away. He kept going and I continued nodding, "mmmhmmming", and trying to turn away. Finally I managed to get away from him but I didn't want to leave immediately thinking he might follow me or something. Plus, he was between me and the door.
I spent several minutes intensely scrutinizing the various crystals on the counter. Then, checking to see that he was not looking, I made my escape. I was glad to be away from him because he freaked me out a little. It's o.k. to talk to a stranger about a book, but it's not o.k. to start venting to a stranger, in an angry tone, about a book they've just been looking at. That is not friendly, it's frightening.
I ducked into a coffee shop two doors down. I waited in line, ordered an iced chai, paid for it, and turned to leave. Who do you think was standing there waiting for me just inside the door? That's right, it was the creepy guy. He started talking again right where he left off. He told me he had seen me in that book store a few times (that was honestly only the second time I'd been in there). He said he had been wanting to say something encouraging to me. Encouraging?? He started asking me questions about what I did and where I was from. I gave short vague answers and when I found an opening, said that I had to be going to meet someone.
Finally outside, I walked home as fast as I could, checking behind me and taking different streets than I normally would, just in case. It was creepy on so many levels but here are the most obvious - asking me 80 million questions, saying he'd seen me a few times, and getting visibly emotional about the Davinci Code. I wish politeness and social grace were not such ingrained characteristics. I wish that I had not been afraid to appear rude and said, "get away from me you weirdo!" Now I'm sort of afraid to walk up there again. What do I do if I see him and he tries to talk to me? Any ideas? After all, it was bound to happen eventually that I would have a run in with someone creepy, considering I live in the big city now. I better prepare myself for the next time something like that happens. Yikes!
Not knowing what to do, I sort of politely nodded and said, "that's a good point" and started to turn away. He kept going and I continued nodding, "mmmhmmming", and trying to turn away. Finally I managed to get away from him but I didn't want to leave immediately thinking he might follow me or something. Plus, he was between me and the door.
I spent several minutes intensely scrutinizing the various crystals on the counter. Then, checking to see that he was not looking, I made my escape. I was glad to be away from him because he freaked me out a little. It's o.k. to talk to a stranger about a book, but it's not o.k. to start venting to a stranger, in an angry tone, about a book they've just been looking at. That is not friendly, it's frightening.
I ducked into a coffee shop two doors down. I waited in line, ordered an iced chai, paid for it, and turned to leave. Who do you think was standing there waiting for me just inside the door? That's right, it was the creepy guy. He started talking again right where he left off. He told me he had seen me in that book store a few times (that was honestly only the second time I'd been in there). He said he had been wanting to say something encouraging to me. Encouraging?? He started asking me questions about what I did and where I was from. I gave short vague answers and when I found an opening, said that I had to be going to meet someone.
Finally outside, I walked home as fast as I could, checking behind me and taking different streets than I normally would, just in case. It was creepy on so many levels but here are the most obvious - asking me 80 million questions, saying he'd seen me a few times, and getting visibly emotional about the Davinci Code. I wish politeness and social grace were not such ingrained characteristics. I wish that I had not been afraid to appear rude and said, "get away from me you weirdo!" Now I'm sort of afraid to walk up there again. What do I do if I see him and he tries to talk to me? Any ideas? After all, it was bound to happen eventually that I would have a run in with someone creepy, considering I live in the big city now. I better prepare myself for the next time something like that happens. Yikes!
