role playing therapy

A new grocery store opened up in town and I decided to visit it today,  not knowing it would be extremely busy on a hot and humid day.  People were grumpy and not very polite;  it happens in a grocery store on days like these.  When I got into line (which were all really crowded), I heard and argument begin to erupt in the next line over.  I looked up and it was an old man yelling at a guy about 30.  It began to escalate and with my background as an assistant principal, I knew it was only going to get worse.  I told my cashier that she should get a manager because there was a fight going on in the line next to us.  She kind of looked around and somewhat called another female over.  I told that woman (who was obviously a manager) that there was a fight which might end up drawing police attention because it continued to escalate. She kind of looked over at it and didn't seem to react much and then all of a sudden the old man was screaming, "YOu going to do that to a 90 year old man."  The old man was in the guy's face, but that didn't give him the right to do what he did next.  He pushed the old man to the ground.  That's when I had had enough.  I can't believe that people are so hesitant to get involved.  I excused myself past this huge guy behind me and then a woman and her cart to get between the two men. I looked right at the female manger and told her to call the police. Someone was helping the old man up and he was coming back at the young guy.  I tried to say "hold on...you want to come in my line (to the old guy who had 5 groceries on the belt)...but the young guy put his hand on the old guy's throat.  At that point, thank goodness a male manager was in there and between the two guys and I think someone else too.  I kept saying to the old man..."look, go ahead of me...it's fine."  But he said, "I'm not going to cut in line...I'll wait my turn."  I went back to my line because the male manager obviously had it under control-somewhat.  The old man mouthed off again and finally the manager took the young guy somewhere else with his groceries.  I was so disgusted at how many people just stood there and didn't even try to intervene. 

The part that really gets to me is that after I left the store, shaking and in tears, I realized that this had brought out all these feelings in me of how this past year has gone for me at work.  Men at the top know exactly what is going on and yet they refuse to get involved and do something about it.  It was like this physical encounter brought out my ability to step into a situation and then allow myself to feel the frustration of having no one step in to control this person who is so unethical and mismangaging everything. 

It was truly an amazing encounter for me and as I turned to my Dad and then my family to share it, I realized that I just needed to let all of these feelings come out.  My reasonable side knows why people don't step in either in a physical situation or in an ongoing injustice, but I guess I can't and won't be one of those people.  I was raised to stand up for what is right and to not be afraid to take chances. 

Who would have thought a trip to the grocery store would be a life lesson????