Toeing the Line

The line at World Market was all wrong.

There were only a few people ahead of us, but rather than queuing in the spot that was clearly marked with a sign Checkout Line Forms Here, the man on his phone, and the couple with their ginormous stroller, and the lady regarding all who approached suspiciously as she protected her third place status trailed into the cooking and dining section of the store.

Knowing from experience that we should be winding back and forth along the candy and attractive tchotchke display, the cognitive dissonance was almost too much handle and I wanted to put down my peppermint syrup and flee. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and Heidi joined the line as it was.

I, on the other hand stood where the line should be, forcing any shoppers who came behind us to reform it according to expectation. The suspicious lady didn't like it one bit, because it seemed like I might be trying to cut, but when at last it was our turn to be beckoned forward by those magical words, Next customer, please, everyone behind me was where they were supposed to be.