Monday, March 23, 2009

Well THAT Was Uncalled For

We interrupt our regularly-scheduled anger and fear to bring you a new segment we're calling: Well, THAT Was Uncalled For.

Today's contestant is the stranger in line behind me at the sandwich shop by my office. The woman who runs the place remembers that I am pregnant but, having forgotten I am having twins, asked if I am due in a month or so. I say, "no, I have a few more months, I am just ahead in size because I am having twins."  This elicits a loud gasp from the woman behind me. A gasp that would have been appropriate had she heard me say, "actually, I am not pregnant, this is a large malignant tumor that will kill me within six months."

I turned around to see this woman looking at me with a look of complete horror. I was actually more shocked by her expression than by the gasp, as I had assumed the noise she'd made was a (pitiful, inappropriate) attempt at a joke. But no, she's really just horrified at the thought that a stranger is carrying twins and doesn't mind expressing that in a completely rude and unthoughtful manner.

"You really shouldn't do that to a stranger," I said. "You can do that kind of thing to friends, but not to people you do not know." The rest of the brief interaction is kind of a blur, and I move away to grab some salad. A minute later, maybe to fill the now quiet space in the cafe, the woman making my sandwich kindly tells me that she wishes she could have had twins. (I am a bit surprised how much I have heard this, even if people only mean it in the most fleeting way.)

So there, my first utterly inappropriate pregnancy comment. (if you can call a gasp a comment, which I guess I will) While several people have asked me if twins run in my family, which is maybe a step from asking if twins are "naturally occuring" or due to intervention, until now no one did anything to suggest that a twin pregnancy is so horrible or pitiable that it would make someone lose control of their good sense and social graces. Most people seem to have a bit more control, thankfully.

12 comments:

  1. Next time you HAVE to use the tumor line. Then what is she going to do...gasp again?

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  2. i hope the nice sandwich lady slipped a hair into the offender's tuna salad. maybe even two hairs.

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  3. Never mind two hairs - there's a whole scene in the novel Trainspotting that springs to mind...

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  4. Honestly, I don't get some people. Who acts like that in public? So rude. Someone should have smacked that woman on her head with something heavy.

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  5. I can't believe how many rude comments I got when I was pregnant. More than once I was asked if I was having twins (nope). I am impressed you said that! I was always so dumbfounded I hardly got a response out.

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  6. I am so glad you stood up to her. I simply can't believe these people - do they not have an EDIT function in their brains?! ARGH!

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  7. Nice comeback.

    I was at a coffee shop recently and was at the counter already when the woman behind me said to her companion, loud enough for the counter person to hear, "Well I hope they get my order RIGHT this time."

    I just can't think of a better way to get shitty service, you know? I mean you *could* bring up a hammer and wave it in the server's face but that's about it.

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  8. Heh. Good for you, responding to the rude gasp.

    I have anger flashes sometimes, and it's good to get them out. Not uncalled for, especially on your own blog.

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  9. What a strange reaction! I'm glad you said something to her. At this point when strangers see I'm pregnant they ask me when my due date. Then I physically see them relax when they discover I still have 8ish weeks to go. They seem to think I'm going to go at any moment and that makes them really uncomfortable. Someone needs to tell these people that for most people it doesn't happen like it does on TV. It isn't generally instantaneous.

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  10. I think it would be a funny ending to find out that she just realized she herself is pregnant with twins.

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  11. When I was pregnant with Bama, people regularly asked if I was having twins. No, I'd say. Are you sure? they'd ask.
    Um, yes. I've had about a dozen ultrasounds. There's one baby in there. Pretty sure. "Are you sure, because they can hide," they'd say.
    Let it go, numbnuts, let it go. If the lady says it's one, go with it. Don't argue. I was enormous, I knew that. I didn't need people blathering on about non-existent twins. Gasp!

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  12. When I was pregnant with Bama, people regularly asked if I was having twins. No, I'd say. Are you sure? they'd ask.
    Um, yes. I've had about a dozen ultrasounds. There's one baby in there. Pretty sure. "Are you sure, because they can hide," they'd say.
    Let it go, numbnuts, let it go. If the lady says it's one, go with it. Don't argue. I was enormous, I knew that. I didn't need people blathering on about non-existent twins. Gasp!

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