So I'm walking from my car to a local provider of groceries in downtown Newport Beach this afternoon, on my way to work. Now, I had just finished with some Marine-related classes, so I was still dressed in my Cammie pants, boots, and secksy OD shirt.
I'm minding my own business, strolling through the isles looking for Pop tarts, when I start to notice the "upper class" members of the supermarket are glaring at me. I go up to the 10 items or less line, it has about 8 people in it. I have my poptarts (strawberry, frosted), A bottle of milk, bread, jelly, honey, ice, and a copy of Mountain Bike magazine. Now things get interesting.
The lady at the counter seems nice enough, but the other patrons are another story. The bag boy doesn't bag my groceries. I kinda shrug and start bagging it myself, while he sits in the little conclave and breathes at me. Awkward.
So after an ornate about face to get my change, the man behind me goes off. He is mid to late 30's. He has an A & F t-shirt on, expensive warn jeans, and what looked like Nike Air 2.0's (red).
He goes into various anti-war slander, the usuall
"Bush sucks.... Republicans are losing the war"
"dying in vain"
"Peace now"
etc.
Now, this goes on for a good 3 minutes, with other people in line joining in to the mans crusade against me. Then it got personal. A blond bimbo trophy wife second to last in line SCREAMS at me, "I hope you AND all of your friends DIE in Iraq for being so ignorant!"
Oh bitch, best not be saying that to a D.E.P'ing Marine that just had his first week of hand to hand combat training.
Now, this whole time, I had stood there, studious like, taking it all in. But now it was my turn.
First was the man. I commented on his appearance, and what it showed me. I went through the whole line of people belittling me and the others who didn't have a voice. It felt good.
Then, after I was done, the bimbo lady says to me again, "And what do you have to show for yourself hotshot?"
I did a quarter turn to my right, where a flag was hanging from the ceiling. I came to attention and saluted, while saying:
"I am a Citizen of the United States of America, A United States Marine, A Firefighter for this state. I think I've shown enough."
End salute, about face, and I walked out of the store.
Now, aside from being able to assert my linguistic skills into a situation, doesn't that situation feel.... Wrong?
I'm minding my own business, strolling through the isles looking for Pop tarts, when I start to notice the "upper class" members of the supermarket are glaring at me. I go up to the 10 items or less line, it has about 8 people in it. I have my poptarts (strawberry, frosted), A bottle of milk, bread, jelly, honey, ice, and a copy of Mountain Bike magazine. Now things get interesting.
The lady at the counter seems nice enough, but the other patrons are another story. The bag boy doesn't bag my groceries. I kinda shrug and start bagging it myself, while he sits in the little conclave and breathes at me. Awkward.
So after an ornate about face to get my change, the man behind me goes off. He is mid to late 30's. He has an A & F t-shirt on, expensive warn jeans, and what looked like Nike Air 2.0's (red).
He goes into various anti-war slander, the usuall
"Bush sucks.... Republicans are losing the war"
"dying in vain"
"Peace now"
etc.
Now, this goes on for a good 3 minutes, with other people in line joining in to the mans crusade against me. Then it got personal. A blond bimbo trophy wife second to last in line SCREAMS at me, "I hope you AND all of your friends DIE in Iraq for being so ignorant!"
Oh bitch, best not be saying that to a D.E.P'ing Marine that just had his first week of hand to hand combat training.
Now, this whole time, I had stood there, studious like, taking it all in. But now it was my turn.
First was the man. I commented on his appearance, and what it showed me. I went through the whole line of people belittling me and the others who didn't have a voice. It felt good.
Then, after I was done, the bimbo lady says to me again, "And what do you have to show for yourself hotshot?"
I did a quarter turn to my right, where a flag was hanging from the ceiling. I came to attention and saluted, while saying:
"I am a Citizen of the United States of America, A United States Marine, A Firefighter for this state. I think I've shown enough."
End salute, about face, and I walked out of the store.
Now, aside from being able to assert my linguistic skills into a situation, doesn't that situation feel.... Wrong?
