It’s all been done, and there’s a store that has it all. That could be a great idea for Dr. Who! A Tardis-like store with access to all the designs past and future! (BTW, I doubt Irish grannies knit for anyone even approaching 6’8″, nor even considered the possibilities of hyperbolic knitting.)

Wow! I’ll bet you are thanking your lucky stars you aren’t married to that guy or one of his children! Can you imagine? Oooooo! I shudder to think….

All of us have a reason we were placed on earth.

I swear that for some it’s to be a bad example.

Alison, you have my complete admiration for keeping your cool in a grocery check-out line and not coming back with, “Your sweater is machine made, you know, just look at the seams.” Even if wishing him well doesn’t get through at this point in his life, I do believe that eventually kindness prevails. I have family members who have to be right, and seem to thrive when it creates conflict. Being stuck like that seems like such a burdensome way to live it just makes me sad. I’ve learned that asking for peace for them helps me be peaceful and allows me to move on! The lessons of the knitting world continue to amaze me!
Hugs,
Carol in MA

You are so kind. Not like me.

What a great explanation though! I’d bet good money you’ll put it to use yet. Sadly, there are too many folks like him in the world. Too bad Richard wasn’t with you to jump in and ask if Smartysweater wanted a signed copy of YOUR knitting pattern book. 😉

a smile and a prayer — yeah, there are only 88 keys there, but we all make our own music from it!

I had a “little lady” experience two days ago. I was loading my groceries into my car when I spotted a car with it’s hood up in the next aisle. I happen to have an awesome kit in my car (a gift from Clark’s shoes, of all things, in a promo done at my local shoe store years ago) which includes a set of jumper cables. The lady in the car hooked them up (she had obviously done it many times before) and jumped into her car to start it up. A man passed by and said “I hope you have those things connected right”. Just then her motor fired up so I said “I guess we do!” and he wandered off. I’ll bet a million bucks he wouldn’t have said that to two men.

The mood I am in now ,would of brought an Irish curse rather than a blessing.(headpains always does this). Ten to one he’s single and will be that way for a long time.Well at least that’s what I hope, could you imagine being a child or a wife. no thanks!

You have a lot of grace and forgiveness to cope with these things as well as you do! I hate these encounters–and have them all the time. The “little lady” kind of nonsense really drives me up a tree. It is truly one of those things that ruins my day. Unfortunately, I enjoy the encounters most when I have a quick (and maybe sharp) comeback that puts the older man in his place…

I think it is fear that drives people like that. The need to always be right is a classic characteristic of control freaks, and most control freaks are driven by fear, fear of uncontrolled chaos. They are threatened by change, by anything new and different, by anything unknown. Those all contain the potential for uncontrolled chaos. To acknowledge that my information is incorrect, or limited in any way, is to suggest that I am not completely in control of the one thing I know I should be in control of: myself. That’s a very frightening prospect to a control freak. Don’t ask me how I know!

You know that wasn’t very nice of you. By being nice you take away his opportunity to argue. Gee whillikers, you may have ruined his day!

Still having fun with your “L’esprit de l’escalier.” Safeway Aran-Man no doubt believes in an “ecoutez et repetez” style of knitting–or whatever the knitting equivalent of “listen” might be. Copy. That said, I LUVZ all the patterns on ravelry but more, I love the notes people add when they tweak a project to make it their own. The way eggs, flour, sugar, butter can turn into a million different things with a few modifications and additions. Probably even a 6’8″ husband (can’t do that with a piano concerto but you can with a chocolate torte–oh, did you use the butter?)

I’ve often fantasized about creating a service called Rent-A-Hulk for just those “little lady” situations, such as taking one’s car to a mechanic. I think an off-duty deputy sheriff, standing just to the side and behind one, with sunglasses and a noncommittal expression, might curtail those “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Lady” comments.

I think I’ll look into venture capital. Such a service is, sadly, needed more than ever.

Alison, the luck of the draw, I bet you’ll encounter this specific person again. And the setting will be even more favorable to you, not him. That’s because (a) you’re you (as in the good word you sent up for him) and (b) you’re right more often than not. I hope I can learn from your calm response.

“Twit” is the kindest word which comes to mind. There are others. I should probably repent, but guys like that bring out the “J. Golden” in me, rather than the “Spencer W.”

Ah me. I’m betting he was divorced, nastily. Some lithe young thing with no self-esteem married him, was abused at least intellectually and emotionally, and finally, thanks to many good girlfriends, wised up and left him, taking him for all he’s worth. Hence his need to be right and put all women down.

Since then? Every woman he meets realizes quickly what life would be like with him and he’s destined to be a loner the rest of his days. He CAN’T have a civil conversation.

And you’re an angel to pray for him. I’m not so kind…
((((hugs))))

I love the piano comparison – it’s so exactly true. In the end, though, letting go and sending him your good thoughts is probably all you can do for someone who needs to be right, needs to score, no matter what.

Even if, say, it’s all been done before, knitting-wise, if I haven’t seen it and unvent it again, doesn’t that mean it’s origianl to me at least? Sheesh, this is the second story, in 2 days, of conversations in checkoutm,lines that went awry that I have heard. Weird