Unresolved

 I finally noticed that I am the person who always gets booted, so that someone else can have the table, seat, etc. I don’t mind giving up my spot for medical reasons or disability reasons, but it should not be a forgone conclusion that I am the one moving when someone else returns from getting coffee expecting that the books they left splattered on the table have reserved their seat. Up until today it was always my assumption that if your butt wasn’t in the seat it wasn’t your seat. I have arranged everything about a visit around holding my spot, and if I had to get tea or whatever I hurried because my seat was at risk. If someone took my seat while I was gone I gathered my things, and gave up my time to work.

Today, for the first time, I sat at a book-splattered table and was about to settle in and work. Two souls returned from getting coffee, and when I asserted the laws of the table  jungle, they just pushed back and I gave them the table. I left feeling perhaps they were right until I was around the corner and thought of all the times I’d returned from the cafe or shelves and given up my seat for lost. I am being taken advantage of. I’m tempted to go back and explain to them that just because I’m a nice little old lady doesn’t mean they loll around getting snacks and such and expect the table to sit empty when it could be useful. The thing is I think about how much I value the atmosphere at B&N. What if my frustration is a tipping point? I did give them a stern reminder to get their snacks first.

I don’t know what my behavior will be in the future. I dislike making trouble, but I hate it when things are unfair and inefficient. I know I will be thinking about what is fair to me more than I have in the past.