Article March 23, 2020 Issue

Don’t be lured into conflict

John Quincy Adams

Standing in line at a local delicatessen, I was lightly nudged from behind. I had been waiting for the customer in front of the line to pay and gather her items. This didn’t seem to make any difference to the man behind me.

He began to verbally prod me to move, even if it meant crowding the person in front of me. It seemed a bit strange. I planted my feet to resist his behavior, and I also felt an unnatural urge to become confrontational. In a strained tone of voice, I explained that I was simply being patient and polite. I reasoned that just permitting him to move ahead of me would have passively excused his behavior.

He continued to try to bait me into a verbal exchange. I never felt threatened, but I was perplexed as to what was driving this man’s urgency.

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