I had a very disturbing experience yesterday that I wanted to share. It has rocked me to my very core... okay, so I'm a little overly dramatic.
Kohl's is having a (insert deep announcer's voice) "Lowest Prices of the Season" sale. T & I always laugh about this because they have a similar sale almost every weekend. So, since I was looking for some tennis shoes and a baby gift I decided to head into town (yes, it requires "heading" there since it's a 35 minute drive.). I was shopping around one of the entrances where there are several check-out registers and happened to overhear (okay, eavesdrop) a conversation going on among three 19 - 21 yrs old or so young ladies. Brace yourself. This is what I heard.
#1 - "Hey you guys, look at this shirt. It says it's Made in Jordan. What in the world is Jordan?" (notice she didn't say where? What are the options of what it might be? Is it a person, a city, a company, a candy bar? made IN Jordan, not by him....ugh)
#2 - "I dunno. I think it's, like, a place or somethin'." (At this point I'm no longer shopping. I'm actively eavesdropping AND watching.)
#3 - "No, you guys. It's a country, I think. No, I think I've heard of it before, seriously." (So convincing.)
#2 - " Oh yeaaaaah."
#1 - "Where is it, do you know?"
#2 - "I think it's in South America, like by Mexico or somethin." (Oh my goodness. I've started to pray for the ability to stop myself from jumping into this conversation. Did I mention sometimes my prayers are not answered immediately? I'm walking towards the group at this point - I can't help myself.)
#3 - "No, I think it's by Germany or maybe Spain. I'm pretty sure I read that a lot of people from Iceland or Greenland moved there a long time ago and that's where the people come from." (Realllly? Stop. Do NOT interrupt. Do not make them feel like idiots. Do not give them a tongue lashing about being ignorant American teenagers who are completely oblivious to the rest of the countries in the world. Just stop.)
At this point a good looking, clean-cut mid-30's man walks up to a register to pay for his items . There's no denying it. He's in the military. Being surrounded by military bases and close to D.C. makes this a sound assumption. The cute, size 4 bottle blonde asks with the tone of Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde" her pressing question:
#1 - "Excuse me. Do you know where Jordan is? I mean, like the country. Not the person or somethin'" (insert giggle)
CMG (cute military guy) - "Uhm, sure. It's a country in the Middle East."
#1 - "Where's that, like by ?"
CMG - "Do you know where Iraq is?"
#1 - "Uh, no."
CMG grabs the back of a credit card application and sketches out a quick map of the area to which #1 is glued with forced interest because, after all, she asked the question.
#1 - "Oh, so they're the people we're fighting with! I wonder why we're buying clothes from them!"
CMG - "We're not at war with Jordan. Uhm, thanks." With an annoyed/frustrated look he takes his bag and leaves.
#1 - "Gosh, he was rude. He must've just gotten back from there."
#2 & 3 - "Yeah. Probably."
This year I'm buying every single child I know an atlas of the world. Merry Christmas!
This makes me miss shopping with you. I especially miss the part that involves pointing out the idiocy of mankind, especially mankind in Charles County. BTW, thanks for leaving comments on my site. No one else does.
ReplyDeleteCan we use the atlas to smack them in the face? I am proud of you because I would have stepped in and said something!
ReplyDeleteOff topic where is Earth, Wind and Fire. We visit this site everyday so my kids can hear September! We love it. What is that you say just download the song? Then I wouldn't check your blog, Silly!
I can't believe how stupid some of the children out there are becoming. It's the video game/ipod/tv/latch key generation. So sad! I think instead of an atlas you should get them an interactive globe. Did wonders for my kids! Heck - Laura even knows where Jordan is! Let's keep it that way!
ReplyDeleteIt's like that commercial with the dumb blondes who don't know where wool comes from. Wait, that was a Utah State Fair commercial. You would have hated it. They were debating whether it came from cows, or goats, or whether we ate what it came from, etc. Hilarious, yes, and it did make me want to go to the fair, but you would have just died. And to think that it happened in real life! Sad, sad, sad.
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog, and I'm so glad I did. This gave me a good laugh this morning. I love that you posted what you were thinking. So funny.
ReplyDelete