This happened just a couple of hours ago. (And by man-child, I don't mean a lovable Mr. Bean type character.) I had decided to relax a bit at a Barnes & Noble's I rarely visit. It's along the route I take between home and my job, as well as the medical institute I'm still enrolled in. Wanted to relax a bit with a nice book.
Found a couple of books and a magazine. I go upstairs to, hopefully, find a seat. Unlike other B&N bookstores, this one only has a handful of seats near the windows upstairs, and if they're all taken then you're just SOL until someone gets up. I was fortunate to find an empty chair. Five minutes later, a guy approaches me. He's in his late teens. He's polite, but makes it clear I'm in his chair.
This is when things get weird. Instead of "man-child," a more appropriate term would be Child in an Adult Body. I've seen this before. Not an isolated example. Basically, everyone is forced to grow up physically. But no one is forced to grow up in the other ways that actually count. Many folks do. But sometimes you encounter those who didn't. Took me a bit to realize I was dealing with one of those.
He then begins complaining, the way a child would, that I took his chair. That I moved it. That it was next to his bag with his laptop in it. Then, that his bag was on the chair and that I had moved it. His laptop bag which he had left completely unattended, was no where near the chair. It was up against the wall. But now I was getting steamed. I had a bit of a trying day and wasn't in the mood for this nonsense. I've gone to other bookstores over the years. It didn't matter if it was a Barnes & Noble's, a Borders, or even a small mom & pop bookstore. The standard procedure with regards to chairs has always been the same . . . You get up from the chair, you walk away from it; anyone can then sit down at that chair. Plain and simple. I've never once complained to someone that they took my chair because I had to get up to use the restroom or because I forgot to grab a book I really wanted to skim through. It's not my chair. It's for any customers who want to take a bit of time to check out a book they're considering buying. The chairs belong to the bookstore. I've even seen older folks asleep in those chairs. Never woke one of them up. Never ran to get the manager to wake them up so I could sit down.
Speaking of the manager, the child trapped in an adult body told me he was going to get the manager so he could have his seat back. I told him to go ahead. By now I was more than a bit steamed. I decided that this childish nonsense wasn't worth my time. Plus, I know what it's like to be in charge and have to deal with moronic customers. I never want to experience that again. And, it wasn't the manager's fault that this idiotic man-child never grew up. I decided to leave. As I did, I bumped into the idiot on my way out, and told him to grow up.
Just an odd experience I wanted to share. Anyone else ever have to deal with a child in an adult body? I'd say there's far more of them out there than we realize. This one wasn't my first. And sadly, isn't likely to be my last. Freaking hell . . . My 4 year-old nephew behaves with more maturity than the dude who came up to me, accusing me of having taken his favorite toy. Had he started screaming "My chair!!" I would not have been surprised.
Found a couple of books and a magazine. I go upstairs to, hopefully, find a seat. Unlike other B&N bookstores, this one only has a handful of seats near the windows upstairs, and if they're all taken then you're just SOL until someone gets up. I was fortunate to find an empty chair. Five minutes later, a guy approaches me. He's in his late teens. He's polite, but makes it clear I'm in his chair.
This is when things get weird. Instead of "man-child," a more appropriate term would be Child in an Adult Body. I've seen this before. Not an isolated example. Basically, everyone is forced to grow up physically. But no one is forced to grow up in the other ways that actually count. Many folks do. But sometimes you encounter those who didn't. Took me a bit to realize I was dealing with one of those.
He then begins complaining, the way a child would, that I took his chair. That I moved it. That it was next to his bag with his laptop in it. Then, that his bag was on the chair and that I had moved it. His laptop bag which he had left completely unattended, was no where near the chair. It was up against the wall. But now I was getting steamed. I had a bit of a trying day and wasn't in the mood for this nonsense. I've gone to other bookstores over the years. It didn't matter if it was a Barnes & Noble's, a Borders, or even a small mom & pop bookstore. The standard procedure with regards to chairs has always been the same . . . You get up from the chair, you walk away from it; anyone can then sit down at that chair. Plain and simple. I've never once complained to someone that they took my chair because I had to get up to use the restroom or because I forgot to grab a book I really wanted to skim through. It's not my chair. It's for any customers who want to take a bit of time to check out a book they're considering buying. The chairs belong to the bookstore. I've even seen older folks asleep in those chairs. Never woke one of them up. Never ran to get the manager to wake them up so I could sit down.
Speaking of the manager, the child trapped in an adult body told me he was going to get the manager so he could have his seat back. I told him to go ahead. By now I was more than a bit steamed. I decided that this childish nonsense wasn't worth my time. Plus, I know what it's like to be in charge and have to deal with moronic customers. I never want to experience that again. And, it wasn't the manager's fault that this idiotic man-child never grew up. I decided to leave. As I did, I bumped into the idiot on my way out, and told him to grow up.
Just an odd experience I wanted to share. Anyone else ever have to deal with a child in an adult body? I'd say there's far more of them out there than we realize. This one wasn't my first. And sadly, isn't likely to be my last. Freaking hell . . . My 4 year-old nephew behaves with more maturity than the dude who came up to me, accusing me of having taken his favorite toy. Had he started screaming "My chair!!" I would not have been surprised.
Last edited:
