I made the mistake of going shopping during half-term this week, though I agree this would send the calmest of person into a rage, for me it’s a heart in the mouth moment from entering the store to leaving it.

Why?

The.Stares.

We restricted growth people are used them yes, but when you’ve got a bunch of random kids who all do the double take, it gets somewhat trying, no matter how much I try to reason that they are only kids, are only curious and don’t mean any harm.

Usually I can cope with this sort of reaction, but it’s not been great this week.  I’m loaded with the cold from hell, I really don’t want to smile at the world that I’m fine and I’m certainly not looking at my super model goddess best.  Oh to have such ‘anonymity’.

Seriously though, over the years I’ve honed my ‘I can feel someone staring at me’ skills and know when I’m being looked at.  In this case, I wonder what it seems like to a 9 year old kid to look into the eye of an adult going about their weekly shop?

Solutions?

• Ignore them
• Look above their / my eyeline
• Do the shopping online

I know the last one is hiding away, but it certainly helps when you can’t reach what you want on the damn shelf.  And another thing!  Why on earth bother having a disabled checkout, when all my local supermarket bothers to use it for is as a shelf of unwanted goods from shoppers at the other tills? Grrrrr!

Don’t worry the half-term holidays and my grouchiness will disappear by the end of the week.  Neither will leave permanent scars.

Rant over.