How Rude!

This was the day the lady comes who does the cleaning. I have not found a way to stick around when she is here, it is simply too uncomfortable for me. Man am I insecure.
So I go to Panera's for a mid-morning work, drink coffee, sneak a danish. The first hour goes great, computer cooperates, the place is virtually empty, I'm cruising along and getting a lot done. Then I had a scheduled conference call, which started out fine, but I realized the longer I talked, the harder it got to hear. Then I realized that the lunch crowd had arrived. Ambient noise was growing, I was having a harder and harder time hearing. A guy came in with his office staff and sat at the table right next to me, middle-aged guy and four younger women. Yak, yak, yak.

Hey! I'm working here!

Can't all you people see that important things are being discussed? Have you never heard of using "inside voices"?

Do you know who I am?!?

I had to laugh at myself. I have somehow become an old fogey. You know, the old guys with the baggy pants, black dress socks with tennis shoes, sweatshirt and khakis, muttering to themselves about all these whippersnappers. Impatience comes from a sense of entitlement, and man was impatience in full bloom this spring day.

So I finished my call, gathered up my stuff, and held the door open for a young family coming in the door. I wanted to stand up on the table and apologize for my thoughts. But how disconcerting would it be to have some old guy stand up and say, " It's okay, I apologize for being impatient with all you rude people."? For some reason it sounded more gracious in my head.

So Godspeed all you noisy diners, keep down a little, okay?
Don