As?‚? the cashier began scanning my items at Trader Joe’s the other day, I heard a woman behind me say in a loud, impatient whisper, “That’s not 15 items.”

I felt my face go hot. I knew she was talking about me. I turned to look at her. She was holding a single bottle of wine and looking very annoyed.

I looked up at the sign hanging above my head, which read “15 items more or less.” I quickly scanned my items and counted exactly 15. OK, so what the heck was her problem? Was she counting my 4-pack of muffins as four items or something?

Now, to be fair, I’ve been her. I’ve stood in line behind the elderly guy at Rite Aid and actually felt ire for him as he insisted on paying his entire bill in change, counting out every. single. excruciating penny. I get the frustration. But, at the same time, it pisses me off. The uptightness of it all. I mean, we seem to be a people with our panties constantly in a bunch. Why is that?

Is it all the time we spend in traffic every day, combined with all the time we spend at work, combined with all the time we spend hauling our kids here and there to activities? Are we just so busy doing so many things that we really, seriously don’t have time to wait as someone in a wheelchair crosses the street in front of us? Is it really necessary to honk at them impatiently? (I kid you not, I’ve seen this happen.)

I know it’s not like this everywhere in the world. When I lived in Italy, I remember being shocked when I would find a business closed during its operating hours. I soon came to find out that just because the store was supposed to be open from 8am to 7pm, didn’t mean it would be. Sometimes store owners had family emergencies and had to open late or leave early. Imagine that! There’d usually be a note on the door that said something like, “Be back in an hour.” No one complained or stomped their feet or took it out on old ladies by honking at them to “move it along” as they hobbled across the crosswalk. No,?‚? people just accepted it and went on their way. Because they were laid back like that.

Why aren’t we laid back like that? Why do I have to deal with snide remarks at the checkout aisle by a too-young-to-look-that-tired thirty-something in line behind me? And for that matter, why do I have circles under my eyes already? Maybe we should give ourselves a break, do a little less and relax a little more.?‚? Maybe then we could get rid of our collective wedgies. Cuz damn, wedgies are really uncomfortable.

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