Thursday, October 11, 2012

Some People Just Suck

Yesterday a woman spilled her hot coffee all over my arm when the train lurched forward on the Dupont metro platform.

"Geez, I'm sorry," she said fervently.

As I rolled up the sleeve of my now soaking wet work dress I said: "I appreciate that, but it wouldn't have happened if you didn't have your coffee on the metro. You know, you're not supposed to have coffee on the metro?"

She scrunched up her face at me and sourly retorted back: "It's tea. Not coffee."

"What?" I said incredulously.

"It's tea not coffee," she replied again, this time with smug conviction.

"Tea. Coffee. Okay-you're not supposed to have hot liquid or any liquid on the Metro."

"Whatever," she mumbled as she took a sip of her "tea" (glad we clarified that) and turned away from me disinterested.

Um, yeah....sometimes people just suck. My arm was wet all morning. My soul might be angry forever.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Rich Bitches

Why are women such bitches? And why does it seem that the richer women get- the bitchier? I mean, I could be completely wrong here and stereotyping. Maybe you are reading this and you've won the lottery or had family money or earned a shit ton through hard work and zeal and still you give money to charity and have fat friends and truly believe the best things in life are free. But for the most part- I'm not buying it. So here's what happened.... 

I'm vacationing on the West Coast with the bf. He's at a conference that work is paying for and therefore I get to stay at an amazing spa resort hotel that I couldn't afford otherwise. No complaints here. I have a view of the ocean from my room, a whole island to bum around on and all day to enjoy its treasures.  

I went down to the fitness center to take a Pilates class. As I waited in the aerobics room, they suddenly all appeared. You know- "them", "they"...those kind of women-"rich bitches." They were all in their mid-40s. But I don't mean normal people mid-western soccer mom 40s. I mean- Demi Moore, Jennifer Aniston 40s. About 8 of them. And they all seemed to know each other. All size 2 and blonde. Except for one who was brunette. But she was the hottest so I guess she got a pass to keep her hair color. Designer work out clothes, designer flip flops. Enormous rocks on their left hands. Gigantormous. All a little giggly. A little eyeing speculatively at me. How dare I invade their in-crowd with my Fila leggings and fat ass? 

They all talked throughout the workout. Whined when it got too hard. One woman left in the middle for her spa treatments. Another asked if it was time for a cocktail yet. Their hair was all down! And perfect! As was their make-up! Every one of these women were a bagillion times hotter than I have been or will ever be but they could barely do the work out. I was the only one who kept up with the instructor. And yet- I came to the end soaked in sweat, hair like a hornet's nest, makeup melted into ugly raccoon eyes. And they- we're unaltered. How do women do that? Is it magic? Are they modern day witches? It never ceases to amaze me. 

After we finished, I looked around for a bottle of sanitizer spray to wipe down my mat. I didn't see one. I always wipe it down at yoga and encouraged the bf to do so as well when borrowing mats from studios. But I didn't see anything. I didn't think it was all that far fetched that at a fancy place like this the staff wiped the mats down themselves after every class especially when attendance is small, classes are few and far between and the clientele elite. All the women were sitting around talking and something about being in their presence made me severely uncomfortable and antsy to leave. So I rolled up my mat, put it back in its cubby and left. 

That's when I heard them. "She didn't wipe her mat." "Eww that's so gross." "Well she was gross..did you see her...". By then I was out of ear shot. I wonder what specifically about me they found the grossest? Then I heard of barrel of laughter find its way up the exit stairwell. Reminding me of their presence. And power. And making me even more self-conscious. 

Why are rich women bitches? Why did they have to comment in me at all? Why couldn't the women who noticed have kept her mouth shut? Why did she need to share? To belittle me? And if it was so important to her that I wipe my mat why didn't she see that I had not and say: "Hey-did you need a wipe for your mat it's right here?" We're they mean because they were rich? Or hot? Or both? In theory you could assume that people like that-rich and hot-would be nice. They're the lucky ones. By the grace of god and genetics and who knows what else they've hit the jackpot. A life of being treated better by others (because studies show people are nicer to good looking people) and a life of ease and comfort and experiencing luxury. Trips, treatments, food, wine, couture. The list is endless. 

So why be mean to the poor, single girl with sweaty brown hair and big thighs? But it's always the way isn't it? Is it because they're rich or beautiful or both? In their 40s while I still have my youth? Because they're unhappy? Maybe they married rich 40&50 year old husbands when they were
 in their 20s and are now attached to wrinkly balls that work too much to show them attention so they take comfort in their tan legs and expensive jewelry? I don't have the answer. 

What's most concerning is that I cared. Really and truly cared. Looked myself in the mirror throughout the class finding myself wanting. Leaving the class feeling even more so and hoping I didn't run into them again. Cancelling a yoga class for tomorrow to avoid a repeat dose of humiliation. Guys don't treat one another like that. Complete cruelty and judgment. For cruelty and judgment's sake. To feed their own insecurities. Or at least not as much. Not to the same extent. And they don't care as much. Forgot to wipe down a yoga mat? Sorry-next time. He doesn't like me? Oh well I've got other friends. My mother likes me. I like me. Moving on...what were we talking about? I don't know why women are bitches. Or why it hurts so much. I only know that they are. And it does.