I stood in line in front of the hospital, doing my best to stay six feet away from someone who felt the need to scream into their phone. I was listening to a book, so ignoring the noise wasn’t difficult. Then the phrase, “useless pricks handing out masks and sanitizer” pulled me out of the story.Caught off guard by the speaker’s lack of respect for people risking their health and lives so that we risk our own a bit less, I found myself facing the person, and saying, “Wow!” very loudly (I blame my loudness on my headphones *cough*).The person ended the call and took a couple of steps towards me. Her face was flushed. For an insane second, I thought I was about to get punched right in the face mask. But no, the individual simply said, “I know, right?” and went on to explain why the hospital staff screening patients at the door were a “plague of useless, socialists getting in the way of things.”I looked past the speaker, stared at the nurse taking people’s temperatures, and said, “The world is just full of useless and ungrateful assholes.” The person actually nodded, as if I were agreeing with them (Some people’s children!).The nurse didn’t smile or wink, but I think her eyes softened above her mask.for Poets and Storytellers United (Writers’ Pantry #20: A Name by Any Other Name Can Be… Confusing)
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Ungrateful A-holes
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Wow indeed! I can't understand how people can be so unaware.
ReplyDeleteI'm also astounded by the way the word 'socialist' is so often (a) applied as a blanket term to people who may well not be, and (b) is wielded like an insult, as if it's BAD thing.
I was just telling a friend that the next time someone uses the word "socialist" to refer to the current situation, I'm going to ask them to define socialism. I might go a little Toni Montoya on them, and inform them that maybe the word doesn't mean what they think it does.
DeleteMrs. Jim and I had the same treatment by some walkers who wanted us to leave the sidewalk while it was much better off on their side. My daughter taught me, start coughing and gasping just when they are almost within forbidden range. They got out of our way FAST. I've been like that before, I stoop over and hold my hands together behind my back to be able to cough more seriously.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting, love your picture here.
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Ha! I'm glad to hear that I am not the only one who uses coughing as self-defense. Seriously, some people have no sense when it comes to social distancing.
DeleteMany people lose their cool when confronted with something outside their control. I have had plenty of suspicious looks wearing my mask. Their opinion one assumes is that either I have the virus or they have. It is a lose, lose situation!
ReplyDeleteI know! These days I get fewer looks, since mostly everyone else is wearing masks too. But a few years ago, when I started wearing a mask because my immune system was slightly useless, people used to treat me like I was spreading plague.
DeleteWhat planet are some people living on? I haven’t witnessed anything like this personally, Magaly, but I’ve heard and read about the ingratitude and inconsiderate behaviour of so many ‘a-holes’ during this pandemic, I’m ashamed to be a human! That nurse had too many patients to consider and enough patience and commitment to her job to ignore it. Well done for standing up to that person, even if they did misunderstand your ‘Wow!’ and your comment.
ReplyDeleteSadly, for some places this is the usual. I don't understand people's resistance--although, seeing that the U.S.'s Orange Infection in chief refuses to wear a mask or to admit just how bad things are might explain some of it. You are not alone in thinking of humanity and cringing.
DeleteYep. Even during times like these there have always, and will always be A-holes like this.(and fortunately Heroes to protect us from them) XXX
ReplyDeleteMay our Heroes never tire.
DeleteVery well said.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anthony.
DeleteSo many things, these days, are hidden by our masks, eh? Thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteNice capture, MG!
Indeed...
DeleteYep, that's a seriously ungrateful A- with a capital letter. This pandemic is certainly bringing both the best and worst out of people. I guess due to personal reasons we'll never know. But to dis the very people, who put their life at risk so that we can live is beyond understanding. I really hope the nurse took comfort from your speaking up.
ReplyDeleteEvery now and again, I feel extra generous and try to reason that some idiots act in that way because they are frustrated and scared. But too many days it feels like they are just ungrateful bastards.
DeleteI imagine this is a story playing itself out over, many, many parts of our country, sadly enough. The disinformation team has done its job well, making a pandemic of all things into something divisive and political. I cannot begin to comprehend the mind that swallows all that crap about a "socialist plot", but as time goes on, I'm less inclined to want to understand them and just get on with doing what I can to make the suffering of others who understand what a nightmare this is just a little less.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard the word "socialist" as often as I've been hearing it this days. Makes no sense. Okay, it does... but I wish it didn't.
DeleteUnfortunately, weird encounters in medical facilities are all too common these days. Maybe it was always that way, but it seems that times of plague often bring out the worst in people.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. I remember the waiting room squabbles before the pandemic. They have just gotten so much worse, when things should get better.
DeleteThat is...amazing in a terrible way. I just don't understand (that is, wish I didn't) why concern for anyone else is such a horrible menace.
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone in not understanding this sort of behavior. I hope this says that there is hope for us yet.
DeleteWOW, that's all I can say too.
ReplyDeleteAccompanied by wide eyes, I bet.
Deletewow! whether the health worker is a socialist or not is non of her business, be thankful that there are people doing the jobs to keep you and the community safe.
ReplyDeletethe disinformation team is certainly working hard.
I keep on wondering what socialism has to do with it.
DeleteWow, indeed! I can't believe how ignorant these people are who fail to appreciate everything that's being done for the sake of their own safety.
ReplyDeleteIgnorant, hurtful, and ungrateful seems to be the order of the day for some. Sigh.
DeletePunched right in the face mask, iconic statement someday. I feel the tension around this and where it steams from pretty constantly these days. Good to give it words.
ReplyDeleteSo many of us walk around tense enough to explode at any second. Let's hope we don't. At least, not for the wrong reasons.
DeleteExploding should be a reasonable thing.
DeleteI get angry too when these things happen...really angry. But inside, I don't know what to do with the ever deepening pain I feel at some people's (many people's) disregard for, and often even contempt for, other people's lives. I take some comfort in knowing there are just as many people, or more, sharing in this same pain...and anger. Thank god for your loving heart, Magaly!
ReplyDeleteThe contempt is what gets to me... every time.
DeleteI don't understand how people can act this way. The selfishness on display, I can't understand this at all.
ReplyDeleteSelfishness and disregard. Makes so little sense.
DeleteWOW is right! What are we becoming? Will we ever come together, heal? I do not believe so. Take care.
ReplyDeleteOr if we can't get closer, at least we should leave each other alone. But no, we rather scratch each other's eyes out.
DeleteYou take care, too, Helen.
Human beings......sigh!
ReplyDeleteHuman? Where?
DeleteI'm appalled at the number of selfish, arrogant, and ignorant people. They all need to walk in the shoes of a nurse or respiratory therapist on a Covid floor for a week or two!
ReplyDeleteI know, right! I keep on looking at these healthcare workers and feeling powerless. I wish they could be home like everyone else. But no, they have to get exposed to disease and stupidity.
DeletePart of what makes this such a difficult time are people like that--I have run out of words to describe them--so yea--I swear a lot--
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge swearer, but this situation has definitely increase my levels.
DeleteGood for you Magaly! Too bad this person, didn't get what you were talking about!!! I truly don't understand some people!! I think that's what worries me more than anything going back to work, is the customers! I will do the best as I can, and if I don't like someone, I will ask them to leave! When I see on t.v how the United States has opened it scares me! Please take care of you!! Love you! Big Hugs!
ReplyDelete(I can't wait to share about my painting! Everyone is going to laugh! LOL! I'm laughing right now! LOL!)
I hope your costumers are good and have sense. I'm slightly terrified of talks of opening schools, restaurants, churches and sporting events! in the U.S. I have no idea what these people are thinking, or maybe they are just not thinking at all.
DeleteI can't wait to see the big reveal!
The apathy starts from the fact that not enough protection is being afforded to them by the leadership - allows people to get away with thinking and acting like they are not important. A**H**** indeed.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me started about the uselessness of our leadership. I might start screaming. And if I begin, I might never stop.
DeleteSome people are so weird! I mean, how can you not believe in something that has been studied so properly these past few months?
ReplyDelete(Recently I keep hearing, "But 30K Germans died from the flu in 2018" - as if that somehow makes this better? Not even trying to understand that.)
The so called justifications are the worse.
Deletehaha i liked how you said the nurse's eyes softened. the accompanying artwork truly conveyed it. great one!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeletePeople, they jump on there thoughtless pedestals and spray opinions like vomit all over us. Bonfire of idiots... Glad you spoke up although the clueless remained clueless
ReplyDeleteThat seems to be the problem most of the time. Those who have already chosen to cover their ears won't hear even is we scream their skulls right off.
DeleteI'm not sure whether or not to laugh at this. The depth of some people's ingratitude is astounding!
ReplyDeleteLaughing while screaming might be a reasonable option.
DeleteThe last time my son and I physically went to the doctor's office back in January, him for a sinus infection and me for my quarterly blood draw for the mess that is my endocrine system, I was wondering to myself why they were playing the TV so loud in the waiting room. Then I looked and saw that the TV was off. It was a woman playing videos at top volume on her cell phone to entertain her kid. I thought that it was really lovely of her to share her videos with the entire waiting room and to teach her kid to be an entitled asshat too. That's what I call multitasking!
ReplyDeleteI will never understand people's rudeness when it comes to this kind of situation. I remember being in a waiting room at the oral surgeon, feeling like my head was going to explode from a jaw infection, and having to listen to enough noise to make me want to forget about the pain in favor of strangling someone. People have no sense. But yes, they seem to be really good at (stupid) multitasking!
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