Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Where Has All The Chivalry Gone?

Where are the days when pregnant women received special treatment? Because I can tell you they are not here... I've been looking for them and I simply can't find them anywhere. I thought that there would be a blissful few months during my pregnancy when I would be all aglow and brimming with a big belly that strangers would smile more, ask to rub my belly, make more room in the grocery store aisles, rush to hold doors for me, and offer to carry my packages for me. Well, I have to say this is NOT the case. If anything, I have found people to be more rude than before! I will admit that I do walk around with quite a sense of entitlement due to the special little bundle that is growing in my belly. Every time someone cuts me off or doesn't let me go first down a parking lot row I find myself wanting to jump out of the car and show them my belly. How dare they take the closer spot to the door or drive recklessly around my child? Now, put aside my irrational sense of importance and understand that this rude behavior continues well beyond the confines of my car. There are no adoring strangers asking to rub my belly, hell I can' t even find any of those rude strangers that everyone warned me about that will just throw themselves upon my belly with no warning. I have had more doors NOT held for me, more people cut in front of me, and more people NOT offer me their seat or to cut in front of them in the restroom line than ever before. Even the grocery store clerks have stopped asking me if I need assistance carrying my bags to the car. What is this about? Has pregnancy gone from a sacred miracle to some kind of burden on society? What happened to my dreams about these 9 special months where I would truly be revered and adored? All in all I don't really need all the special treatment, as I am fortunate to be a pretty healthy pregnant woman, but it would be nice to be asked and treated with a little delicacy. Perhaps I am more sensitive to rude people now that I'm pregnant but Chris has picked up on this as well - so at least I know I'm not completely imagining things. Pregnancy hormones have been known to cause small bouts of psychosis every now and then.