In Line at Target

I live in a relatively small town. There are about 26,000 people here. I've lived here my entire life, minus the college years. Now I obviously do not know all 26,000 of my fellow residents, probably not even half or even an eighth for that matter. So it's very likely for me to go to the shops in town and not actually run into anyone I personally know. This fact suits me just fine, because it never seems to fail that when I do happen upon a familiar face in line at Target, it's someone I don't really care to see.

I wouldn't really say I'm anti-social. Although I'm sure there are some people, including an old therapist who would disagree. I just hate having to make mindless conversation with people who I sometimes wonder if they are only making the effort because it's the polite thing to do. God knows that's the only reason I do it.

Honestly, I can do without the awkward "Hey, how have you been?" from the former boyfriends. I can also do without the perky girl from high school who finds joy in being out in a storm to pick up some shampoo. I generally dislike perennially perky people, no one is always that happy. And I can most certainly do without the old friend who since I've last seen her has married and produced a child or children. These are my least favorite people to run into.

Now, I personally don't have anything against people with children. I like children, I spend all day long with them. What I cannot stand is those people who have children and look at you like you're from Mars because you're at a certain age and don't yet have a gaggle of your own. Or worse, you're not even married yet! Gasp! Apparently not being married with children is worse than the plague to them.

So the other day I happened to have the joy of running into one of these people, who might I add had an unruly 2 year-old screaming at her the entire time I had to endure talking to her. After hearing about the horror of my unmarried and childless state, this woman says to me: "Oh, you must really love your job." What? Do people get married and have children because they don't like their jobs? What does liking or disliking your job have to do with being married?

Now I know not all married people are like this. I happen to know some lovely people who are both married and have children and they do not act like this. Unfortunately those nice people are never the ones I happen to run into in line at Target.