There’s something I’ve been sitting with today.
It happened in a coffee shop. Nothing dramatic. No raised voices, no confrontation, just one of those moments that lingers a little longer than it should.
Two women were standing outside when I walked up. I asked if the place was closed, they said no, just crowded. It wasn’t really crowded, but we all ended up going in anyway.
We got in line, I made it clear I was behind them, just being respectful, normal. The line started moving.
The younger woman stepped forward.
The older one didn’t.
And that’s where it got… strange.
She stayed right next to me, on her phone, glancing over every now and then, but not moving. Meanwhile, there’s now a noticeable gap between her and the person she came in with.
So I’m standing there thinking, what is happening right now?
Are you with her?
Are you not moving on purpose?
Are you waiting for me to… what exactly?
And the part that stayed with me wasn’t confusion.
It was the feeling.
The feeling that somehow I was supposed to wait.
That I wasn’t supposed to just move forward into an open space like any other person would.
And I did move. Because that’s what you do in a line.
But the hesitation, that moment where I even questioned it, that’s what stuck with me.
Because it made me realize how often we experience these quiet, unspoken interactions where nothing is said, but something is definitely communicated.
Not directly. Not clearly. But enough.
Enough to make you pause.
Enough to make you check yourself.
Enough to make you wonder if you’re reading too much into it.
And maybe sometimes we are.
But sometimes we’re not.
Sometimes it’s just that subtle tension around space, who takes it, who waits, who feels like they need permission, and who doesn’t even think twice.
I’m not saying that woman had some deep intention.
But I am saying the moment was real.
And the feeling was real.
And those moments add up.
One last thought…
Sometimes it’s not about what happened, it’s about what you felt you had to question in order to move forward.
Leave a Reply