Friday, October 05, 2007

Tangled thoughtts...

Tangled thoughts…

Sometimes the littlest of things turns into a tangled cobweb of thoughts in your head and crowd you. You keep going back to those thoughts throughout the day. You build up a misunderstanding in your head and you wonder if indeed it can be set straight.
I went to Costco – the mammoth store with the always full – even as soon as the door opens – parking lot, to buy a whole bunch of items. I have been trying to go there every day but it just wasn’t happening. This morning, I decided to leave at 9.50 am so I could be there soon after the store opens. Of late, I have been trying to give KB his lunch at 10.45 to 11.00 am. It takes me at least 45 min to give him his lunch. When it was 9.45am and time to leave, I was too nervous that baby girl would wake up at 10.30am (3 hours after her morning feed) and start crying. My mother told me she would be fine and that she had just started napping and that I should go. I was too nervous to have no time for slack in case I got delayed – so I fed her at 10.00 am and figured if I got back by 11.30am, I could give KB his lunch and then nurse baby girl by 12.15 or so.
I made good timing, drove to the store in 10 min (no traffic) and found a spot quickly on one side of the lot. The lot was full but not over flowing like it always is. I got out of the car and quickly looked for a cart and walked over to the cart lot and pulled one out and put KB in it and rushed to the store. I had to return some item and then begin shopping.
In the rush I did not make a mental note of where I had parked the car. All I remembered was that it was close to the cart lane in one of the lots.
I finished shopping and was out of the store at 11.30am. I still had an hour and half before baby girl was due for her next feed. She sometimes wants to nurse in two hours but since she had fed nearly every two hours in the morning since 5.30am, I figured she would be fine. I would reach home by 11.45am (already late for KB’s meal time) and give him his meal and then nurse baby girl.
I walked towards where I thought the car would be, but I could not find it. It was a maze of cars and SUV’s and pick up trucks – either being parked or being pulled out of the lot. So many silver cars, I could not find ours. I walked around that side of the lot, around and around the five or so lanes back and forth pushing the cart full of stuff and KB, while feeding KB his cheese snack (thank heavens I had that with me) and I still could not find it. I called B couple of times to vent my frustration and worry. Did it get stolen? What happened to it? I remembered coming straight and turning into the lot on the left side. I was getting frantic. KB had to be given his lunch. Baby girl would wake up for her feed. And the car was not in sight! KB was being patient and in fact sounded a little excited when he said “Where’s the car?!” repeating after me.
I then asked a mother who had just put her son in his car seat and was about to leave, if she could help me out. I gave her the license no and asked her if she could just drive around the lot for a minute and see if I had missed seeing it. I felt blinded. How could I miss the car?! She was very nice about it and told me she would look for it. She went through the next lane and came back to where I was and waved – no, not there. I told her “You’re probably getting delayed, you go ahead, thank you”. I was outside on her passenger side but her window was open and I assumed she heard me. I was still walking around looking for my car and this time I located a store clerk and decided to walk up to him for help. I suddenly thought I would go to the opposite parking lot even though I was so sure in my head that I had not parked there. There it was, instantly spotted – our silver car that beeped to the remote. And suddenly it came back – yes, I had indeed parked there. It was next to the cart lane – except on this side, not the side I had walked in for the last 15 min or more.
I went around the whole lot once trying to spot that lady – I had only briefly glanced at her, did not notice her license plate no. I figured she must have left. And suddenly as I came out of the lot, I wondered – did she really hear me tell her she could leave and that I would manage? I didn’t want her to think I just sped off as soon as I found my car without even telling her. I looked around, I could not find her and I had already told her to leave. But all afternoon, this nagging doubt has been there in my head. I get into these sticky situations in my own head. Trivial as they may be. It feels like a kink that needs to be released. No way out. I have to let go of that thought. Here was a kind woman who helped me out by offering to look for my car. I did thank her and told her to go ahead. She may not have heard me. But I still feel bad because, in my frantic state, I didn’t make sure* that she heard me. I was afraid that baby girl would have woken up and give my mother a hard time. I was worried that it was already late for KB’s lunch. In all that, I just quickly told her to leave but I did not make sure that she heard me. If I had been in her place and wandered around the lot looking for the car, I would be upset if the other person just left without letting me know that they had found it. Yet I did the same. How can I resolve this?
I get into these imagined sticky situations every now and then. Now this woman may not even care – she may have assumed I found the car and left – which is quite likely. And she might have also heard me tell her to leave. Yet I worry about this. I sometimes get stressed just thinking that I may have offended someone that that is the reason they have not written to me or called me. And it will just turn out that they were just busy or preoccupied. Does this happen to others as well? Hope so!

13 comments:

Shobha said...

Hey :) Am sure that lady probably just assumed you'd found your car and she went her way. You tried to find her,right? You did your bit. Rest easy. Nope,I don't get offended in scenarios like this ..

If I ever wonder about a misunderstanding over a long silence, I pick up the phone or send an email to check whether all is well. That usually puts my mind to rest. And sometimes people don't call or write because they're caught up with stuff ... trust me on this one! :)

Shobana said...

LOL....I am laughing with you since I do this all the time and I am sure the lady must have left...don't worry...I know what it feels like to have that thought in your head....

shobana
http://mybabynaren.blogspot.com/

Tharini said...

have a lot of thoughts to share with you dear Noon. Please be patient with me. right now, my mind has gone to sleep. Will be back tho.

Terri the terrific said...

noon, you don't have enough to worry about that you're thinking of strangers you may never meet again?!!

Terri the terrific said...

Wanted to add - I do the same thing.

noon said...

Hi S, Yes, she may have assumed that...really hope! Felt bad because she had a son (probably 5 plus) in the car and was willing to help me out...but point was more about such imaginary situations cropping up in my head where I wonder...

Shobana - thanks for visiting.
Glad to know I am not the only one!

Tharini - Sure, patience is my middle name (well not really, my husband will attest to that! just joking). Take your time...
Mind needs some Madras Kapi?! :)

Terri - tell me about it! Do you canines worry like this? Please do tell if not - the secret to your happiness!

oh no, just saw your next comment - you worry like this too!

Cantaloupes.Amma (CA) said...

Noon, I am of the same kind ... I would have been as much bothered about it like you ... and of course would have bored BP about it mutiple times.

mnamma said...

Noon,
I do this a lot too may be even to an extreme level, that I chide myself not to be so hard on myself. You are just a very sensitive soul!

Anonymous said...

I felt your are writing my heart..Noon I don't know where you are but your thoughts are great..Many many times I expereince the same tangled thoughts...and at that time to pacify my soul I do Inki Pinki Ponki and see the answer..If the answer still in disturbing me, I do till I get a good answer so that I can stop thinking about it.

noon said...

CA - tell me about it - husband definitely has to lend a ear for me during times like this! I will go in a loop and talk about it! :) Nice to know though that you do it too!

noon said...

Mnamma - I really wish I was thick skinned - really!
Rhinoceres hide as the Mad Momma said in one of her posts! :)

noon said...

Aryan's mom - that's funny - inki pinki ! :) Do you repeat it again if you don't get the desired result? Cheat a little! :))

Anonymous said...

oh yes - i am always paranoid that i have offended someone and thats why they are'nt writing / calling whatever. its an awful feeling coz even as i am being paranoid about it i have another simultaneous knowledge that they are probably too busy and don't even care! and i manage to work myself up so badly about the whole thing! so yes you are not alone there!

i just had to write this comment immediately coz i felt so hugely relieved on reading your post that other people feel this way too that i had to return the favour!