Be Blessed

The long open aisles of Wal-Mart are a good place to find yourself crawling around on a shiny cement floor. A good place to be on your back, struggling to reach the giant pink pacifier that your 20 month old daughter has violently hurled in anger. And it is then, in your moment of weakness, that you find yourself "blessed".

The guy obviously had some kind of righteous, good intentions. He made a joke under the assumption that the baby was angry because mommy had walked away, and not because she did not like me taking her new booster seat away to run a price scan (under orders). So that was fine. He couldn't have known.

A few minutes later, taking the turn around the vegetable aisle, I am caught off guard by the same voice jesting in our direction.

"Hey, she must have got what she needed (mom)! Stay strong... be blessed!"

I really don't want to be blessed. He said it almost as if it were a command. I wondered if maybe he was a pastor, and it was some pro bono work he was doing while shopping. Why should I be blessed? Because my daughter was being a fussy brat? Because he thought I needed it? It really makes you open your eyes when you decide that your are sure enough in your beliefs that you are an atheist. You start to hear things differently...

• bless you
• be blessed
• via con dios
• god dammit
• Jesus!
• jumping Jesus Christ on a pogo stick!
  

Well, you get the idea. It all makes the assumption that we live in a Christian nation, and we all subscribe to those beliefs and worship those gods. I didn't want anyone to fucking bless me today. It really just comes across as pretentious and self-righteous. It pains me to hear those things. It is something I will live with, and allow others to exercise their first amendment rights. I just hope they remember those rights when I slip up and tell one of them to stuff their blessing up their ass.

I know this reads as hateful, but sometimes that is how it feels. Sometimes I think, "Wow! Thanks dude! You just blessed me for nothing! I can do anything I want!" But mostly, I just think, "shut up."