Okay, so basically, I'm what you would call "very assertive." I don't ever allow people to walk all over me, and I have never absorbed a lot of the socialized "female" behaviors. An example of a socialized female behavior is the following, which happened at my corner store:
Two young women standing in line to make a purchase behind me, as I finish up my transaction. A goon walks off the street, into the store, and cuts in front of the two girls and a long line, plops a $20 on the counter to buy tobacco, as I turn and watch this scene. The store clerk points out there is a line and he cut in front of the girls. The goon turns around and steps back, not really caring that he just had a social faux paus. The two women smile shyly, giggle awkwardly, and apologize PROFUSELY to this guy. Each woman said "I'm sorry" at least 3 times to this random rude goon.
You'd NEVER see a guy apologize for SOMEONE ELSE being rude. But, this is how a lot of women have absorbed behaviors through the years. Girls are taught to be agreeable, non-confrontational, accepting, to go-with-the-flow, and not make a scene. Me, being the staunch feminist since I was absurdly young, I have staved off most of these behaviors. So, I will often assert myself.
Today at a busy Shaw's after the gym, I find the 15 Items and Under line looks good to me. I get in line and there are 4 people in front of me. I put a few items down for a few seconds on the metal before the conveyer belt to run and grab 2 more Diet Cokes from 2 of the coolers (I had to go to 3 coolers to get 3 Diet Cokes, there was 1 in each). The woman behind me watches me leave.
When I return 20 seconds later, she had closed the space between me and the other guy, as she held her wine ever-so-lovingly. I say "excuse me" and squeeze back into the spot to put my other 2 sodas down.
She sarcastically says "Oh, sure, go right ahead."
I said "What?"
She repeats again, with more sarcasm "Oh, yeah sure I don't mind, go right ahead."
I responded, "Oh, I was here. See, this is my stuff. I'm not cutting anyone."
The guy in front of me (who works out at my gym and I had just seen 5 minutes before) says to her "Yeah, she was there."
The woman mutters, "I didn't even say anything."
I respond under my breath (not looking at her), "When you said it with that tone, you insinuated that I had cut in front of you."
She responded with, "I didn't insinuate anything."
So after an awesome step class and an awesome lifting session, now I'm going at it at Shaw's. See, sure, there are options. Option one was to ignore it. Option two was to respond to it. Seeing as though I am possibly the LEAST passive person anyone will ever meet, ignoring someone who is rude to me and trying to make me look as though I'm a line cutter, is not an option.
This is just one of hundreds of examples. I live in the city, so there are SOO many stories that I have, and many I have long since forgotten. I could write a book.
Anyways, this was my shopping list at Shaw's:
2 containers of NaSoya Lite Firm Tofu
1 container of Mesclun Lettuce Mix
1 Red Onion
3 Diet Cokes.
The tofu is dry-frying (YOU MUST DRY FRY UNLESS YOU LIKE MUSH), and I'm excited to enjoy my 6th meal for the day. It's the usual: Salad, Oil Dressing, Chili Garlic Sauce, Red Onion, and tofu. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm SASSY!