The Space Between

I have a myriad of thoughts that run through my skull to which my self response is, "You should write a blog entry on it!". Moving and gearing up for (and now actively being in) school again have put my poor blog on the back burner. Be ready for a deluge of reactivity, though.

Back to the issue at hand. Space.

The computer I'm writing this post on is in the library of the university I'm now attending. After class, I came here and waited for a computer to become available (I don't bring my laptop to campus on Mondays). My wait was not long, perhaps 2 minutes. Right after arriving, I noticed a girl beginning to pack up.

I stood behind her, but at what I consider a comfortable distance, so she didn't feel like I was breathing down her neck or trying to rush her. I was probably about 5 feet directly behind her, with my eyes fixed on the chair. At the time I arrived, there were no others looking for an open station. After I was positioned to take the spot of this girl, though, a young man came in and stood right next to her as she was standing to leave. He put his hand on the back of the chair and looked back at me.

He must have read my confused (I sure hope it looked confused and not angry) look, because he nonchalantly asked, "were you waiting for this spot?".

"Yes." I replied. He walked away disappointed.

This happens to me frequently; in line at TJ Max or the self serve line at Kroger, in airport security lines, etc. It's got me really wondering if the problem is me leaving too great a distance between myself and the spot I'm going, or if people, in general, are just becoming less polite or patient. I like to think I'm sufficiently aggressive when needed. I can board a crowded Metro car in DC with ease or fight my way through a crowd. But, in less populated situations,.... am I too timid?