The Glass Character: 04/07/25

Monday, April 7, 2025

How my pants became an internet sensation!

NOTE: This is a copy-and-paste from a Facebook post I just made. The thing is, even though I know these two insufferable busybodies were being extremely rude, it left me feeling lousy, not about the unwanted public attention but because I didn't TELL them they had been inexcusably rude. It lingers like an ache somewhere that won't go away. The fact several others joined in the fun didn't help. I did not engage with them, which might have indicated I wasn't going to "go along with the joke" (if that's what it was), but they didn't twig, just kept on pointing and giggling.

So are Canadians still "polite"? Do they still apologize to the furniture if they bump into it? Today I had proof that not all of them do.

I was standing in line at the mall food fair, when I noticed two women in front of me (about my age), looking around at me and my bottom half. One of them came up to me and said, "I LOVE your pants!" I was wearing the kind of casual pull-ons you see everywhere now, but she kept at it, noticing the logo and saying (loudly) "Are those pajama bottoms?" (They weren't, but I was struck dumb by now). Both started giggling and literally pointing at the pants in question, like two junior high girls in the school washroom.

By then, others in the lineup began to "notice" my famous pants. They had become a sort of social focus in the food court. Then came the kicker - the other lady said, loudly, "SO, ARE YOU SLEEPWALKING?" I just said no, not engaging with them, then moved as far away from them as I could, wishing I could have said something about how rude they were. But I didn't.

Does that make ME a good Canadian, or just a chump who can't speak up for herself? Am I, as so many people claim, "too sensitive", and THAT'S the problem? As far as I am concerned, I am just sensitive enough.

It could be that the stereotype is eroding due to the stress of woeful world events. But added to feeling kind of humiliated in public, I also felt bad that I didn't say anything.

I should have. But I had it drilled into me all my life that I HAD to be polite to strangers. So I guess I turned out to be the "good Canadian", after all.

But if you're going to give a complete stranger a compliment, please mean it, and don't follow it up with public mockery. It just doesn't go down well, these days.

UPDATE! I received quite a lot of likes and comments on this post, including one from a nasty editor basically making fun of me for being made fun of (?). I deleted his comment and blocked him, but it gave me pause that I probably worked for or with this person in my publishing life. I guess nastiness comes in all sizes, shapes and ages. And occupations.

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Bev Daurio, Lisa Reynolds and 7 others

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Deb Bird

She’ll be 80 soon.

May be an image of 1 person and text that says 'We've got to stop being polite. IfI I ever had children... the first thing I'd teach a girl of mine is the words 'fuck HELEN MIRREN'

Margaret Gunning replied

1 Reply

Amber Hayward

Wow some people never grow up! They still live in that teenage mindset of judging and assuming that others are constantly judging them. Must suck to be them.

Author

Margaret Gunning

Amber Hayward Well, it sucked to have my pants held up for scrutiny (so to speak). When I got dressed that morning, I never knew my apparel would become so famous.

Bev Daurio

These people were downright rude and awful. Sorry this happened. I think you were correct to get away from them. There are people who do distraction pickpocketing, for instance; there are people on drugs; there are people suffering from mental problems; there are mean people just looking for a tiff. Even from this distance I trust your gut that seems to have said, don't engage, gain distance from them.

And you seem very Canadian to me, just saying.

Author

Margaret Gunning

Bev Daurio Thank you! I have mixed feelings about it all, but at least I wouldn't play whatever game they were playing.

Debbie Bateman

I'm sorry you went through that. It really hurts to be made fun of in that way and it is nothing short of bullying. Thank you for speaking up. Take care.

Author

Margaret Gunning

When I was going home with steam coming out of my ears, I thought to myself: oh well, at least there's Facebook! I usually just post fun stuff, but this wasn't my idea of fun. At least I had somewhere to put my feelings.

Lucy Black

It sounds like you handled a terrible situation with grace and class. Be pleased with yourself. Those rude women are not worth your time.

Author

Margaret Gunning

Lucy Black I just deleted a comment that reflected the same kind of nastiness. To make it worse, it was someone I actually knew through publishing. Some people just don't have enough to keep them busy. BTW, I blocked him.

2h
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Edited

Kate Rogers

You are not “too sensitive.” They were not sensitive enough!

Author

Margaret Gunning

Kate Rogers I wish people wouldn't see sensitivity as a weakness. Mine is precious to me, and I couldn't function without it.

Kate Rogers

Have you read Elaine Aron’s book The Highly Sensitive Person? Her research has been very helpful to me.

Sky MacKay Curtis

What assholes. I’m sorry this happened to you.

Author

Margaret Gunning

Sky MacKay Curtis It's not true that young people are more rude and thoughtless than those of my age group. These were women in their 60s. It was as if I was wearing a particularly garish clown suit and they felt perfectly OK to comment (loudly) on it.

Monday, April 7, 2025

How my pants became an internet sensation!

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