Quandry

"Hey! What's wrong with you? Open the door for me!"

This is something startling to hear from anyone. Actually, this is downright rude. But the speaker got my attention, as I'm sure was his intention.

I stopped mid-stride on my way over the threshold of the doorway and started to turn around to address my accuser. My brain flooded with a list of ugly comebacks. Then I caught sight of the speaker -- in a wheelchair! A young man, easily under the age of 30, sat glaring at me as if I had just spit in his face. Such hostility! What to do? Without thinking twice about it, I held open the door for him and stood gingerly out of his way as he wheeled himself neatly by me without another word. Just then something popped into my head and before I could run it by the internal censors, I blurted out "Asshole!" Wow! Did that just come out of my mouth?