Chivalry. Hello?!!

[h2co-pilot]

The weirdest thing happened to me yesterday. I just have to share it.

I went to my daughter's elementary school as I am the kindergarten room mom. Basically you volunteer to help with bake sales, coordinate their holiday parties....etc. Anzywazy, I was there for the "room mother meeting" in the library. I signed out and said goodbye to the security guy.

As I was leaving the building, a very larger foyer if you will (new and echoey), I heard some footsteps behind me. I look back and it was a uniformed man(I couldn't begin to tell you which branch- I think it was green and red) , he was smallish but fit and not very tall, sporting some huge glasses walking towards the door to exit. (Kinda looked like the guy that played the older Henry Pu Yi in "The Last Emperor".)

Now he was I'd say a good 20 feet from the door. So it was just that border line "Should I hold the door or not" kinda thing. I could have let it go. But I figured he saw me look back at him... and he had a briefcase/man bag thing, he was obviously serving our country in some way..... so I held the door. The door would have slammed in his face from the hinge delay.

The doors are quite large and heavy, so given the last minute decision I lose my balance a bit (don't snicker- I didn't fall) and had to step back towards the door to hold it. Here I was my sweet pregnant room mother self holding the door with a little smile waiting for him to reach the door.

Now he's coming, not hurrying mind you, and not smiling back. He gets to the door and walks right through. Doesn't bother to touch the door, just walks right through. No 'thank you', no smile- nothing.

Now that's screwed up. But I think "whatever.".

But THEN, after, he kind of lingers, just stops, there is another set of heavy doors to the outside, you know it had another little foyer thing. So still lingering, I think he must want me to go ahead- like a lady- and he will reach out and push the door and hold it for me to walk through- you know, a no words man but responds with reciprocation.

So I pause for a bit and head the 3 steps towards the door till I'm right on it. Well, jumpin jack flash doesn't reach to push open the door. He is still 3 steps back. I lunge and use my legs and arms push it open and hold it very briefly with extended arm for him to push as I get out to the concrete and he just walks on through! I had to stop and brace myself again. No attempt to touch it, no smile, no 'thank you'- nothing. Just keeps on walking. Can you believe it?! I was in shock.

Out of all my weird door holding experiences, even the "30 people pass and don't take over the deed 'don't worry I'm the doorman' " instances, this was the weirdest.

WTF?!