Smile, And The World Demands More

(I’m in a grocery store buying an over-the-counter topical analgesic. I’m in a pretty bad mood.)

Random Stranger: “You need to smile.”

Me: “Huh?”

Random Stranger: “You’re bringing me down. Smile, d*** it.”

Me: “Sorry.”

(I start to walk towards the registers.)

Random Stranger: *steps in front of me* “I’m not letting you leave till you smile.”

Me: “I’m really not in the mood for this. Please move.”

Random Stranger: “SMILE, D*** IT!”

Me: *after a few seconds* “I’ve had two deaths in my family in the last 24 hours, my shoulder hurts so bad I can barely lift my arm, and I haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday. I think that if I don’t feel like smiling at the moment that I have the right not to. I’m not sure I could right now even if I wanted to, and I think it’s pretty f****** rude for some random stranger to demand I do and yell at me about it. Now kindly Get. Out. Of. My. Way.”

(She looked guilty and scurried off. I bought my analgesic and got my shoulder taken care of, at least.)