What the angry man at the grocery store taught me about human connection in this time
Kelly Peace
Brand, Marketing & Communications. Leadership & Team Coach. Employer Brand Advisor. Chief of Staff. Social Alchemist. Life Long Learner.
A few weeks ago, I had an experience at the grocery store. It was horrible and beautiful.
I was doing my thing at the grocery store. Wearing my mask. Following the red arrows on the floor as I went up and down the aisles.
I was about to turn a corner to head down the next aisle. There was a very tall man ahead of me doing the same. What must have happened is that someone ahead of him was going the wrong way down the aisle. So he quickly backed up. I was not able to back up in time so he whacked his foot against the front of my cart. Hard.
He was furious. His entire head went beet red. And he glared in my direction. I made the "oops" face, hidden behind my mask.
He went around the corner. And then so did I. I was now basically following him through the grocery store due to the arrows. He was limping and continued to glare in my direction every 30 seconds or so.
He finally glared directly at me and our eyes locked.
I said, "I'm so sorry I hurt your foot. I didn't mean to."
And I burst in to tears. The kind of tears you see in a cartoon where they burst off your face.
His face went from furious to soft and kind.
He said, "It's ok! I'm ok! No worries. All good."
It was like a huge emotional crescendo. And then so awkward as we both completed our grocery shopping, separately and together. As he left the store, his eyes met mine one last time and his eyes smiled at me and he waved.
This experience is such a great metaphor for how we're feeling right now.
My cart hitting his foot was the tipping point for his anger and rage. He was angry and he cast out his anger at me with his continuous glares.
His rage and anger at me was my tipping point for my pent up sadness. I could not hold back my true feelings in this moment.
When his anger met my sadness, it was beautiful. It was a true human connection with a stranger.
I will never see this man again, but I will never forget the short journey of emotions we shared.
I will remember that we are all human. We are all holding big emotions. And letting them out is cathartic. So the next time I see the big emotions of a stranger, I won't be so quick to judge. We are all just trying to follow the arrows, at the grocery store and in our lives. And do the next right thing.
P.S. I happened to glance at the contents of his cart. He was clearly going home to make Sloppy Joe's :)
Experienced Professional in Training & Development, Project Management, and Quality Assurance | Specializing in Delivering High-Quality Documentation, Compelling Content, and Effective Customer Support
3yThank you for sharing your experience. So beautifully written, I was deeply touched by your truth.
US-Central Career Network Leader at EY | Empowering our alumni and client executives to discover their best future
3yThank you so much for sharing this beautiful encounter and for the reminder that we are all feeling something during this difficult time and kindness is our best path forward :)
Lead UX Content Strategist
3yThank you for being so honest and authentic with this post. It's a hard time for so many people, and being open about those emotional difficulties can make others feel less alone, and inspire them to share as well. Beautifully put.
Professional and Personal Coach | Mental Fitness Coach | Change Agent
3yI’m loving this story and will take this away: “I will remember that we are all human. We are all holding big emotions. And letting them out is cathartic.”
Certified coach, Marketing B2H advocate & Client Experience Leader for Canada, EY / Coach certifiée, Stratège en marketing B2H & Leader, Expérience client pour le Canada, EY
3ySome say that the current pandemic is a collective trauma. Thanks, Kelly, to remind us that we're all in this together. And be proud... The strongest people are the ones who are still kind during and after the difficult times.