Random Observation

It wasn't long ago when I used to run out to a parking lot, get into my car and drive off in no time flat. Now with a baby, a stroller, my diaper bag usually tucked in the stroller underneath as well as various things that we've collected along the way on that particular journey, it takes me much much longer. In a crowded parking lot, people without children can get pretty annoyed with it. I have to admit...back in the day, I probably was not nearly as patient with the time that it takes to load children and things into a car as I am now.

The other day, I was waiting for a parking space and the only "soon to be available" spot was a minivan with a lady trying to put her baby in the car. I sat in my car with my signal light on (yes, it was that crowded and I didn't want someone coming by snagging MY space) waiting for her to clear the space. She looked flustered trying to hurry in loading her baby in and trying to get her stroller broken down to fit into the back. It obviously was a new stroller that she hadn't quite figured out yet and was really having a hard time folding it up. She would look up every once in a while at me with a frantic and apologetic face. Finally, I rolled down the window and said "Don't worry...I know how you feel. I have a little one in the back as well. Do you need help with folding that up?" The look of relief on her face was priceless. She laughed and we joked quickly about how much faster we both used to load a car before she was finally able to load her stroller.

When I first used to load Keira into the car and would experience impatient people, it used to fluster me as well. Even though I load things up fairly fast, I've even had someone honk at me to hurry up. I intentionally slow down just for those people now :). I know...bad. I intentionally slowed down for a lady at the gym the other morning. She had her window rolled down and I could hear her saying something along the lines of "Come on already!" There were a ton of other spaces in the lot. She just specifically wanted MY space because it just happened to be pretty close to the entrance. In the time that she waited for my spot, she very easily could have found another parking space further away and been inside already. Uh....you're going to the gym... to work out...and you are trying to park as close as possible? That cracks me up. People that fight to try to park in the closest spot possible at the gym. They want to walk the least outside so that they can go inside and....uh......walk? God forbid they burn anymore calories by walking from a parking lot. Funny. Let's just say that it is actually a joy s---l----o-----w----i----n----g down for those people :).