Sneezing and coughing

I went to see Dolphin Tale yesterday. The theater was full of families with little kids. I was glad I got there early so I had a good choice of seats. I always sit in the very last row because I don't like having people sit behind me. One never knows when the person behind them could be sick.

So I'm sitting there, eating popcorn, watching previews and waiting for the movie to start when this older man and lady climb the stairs, and then the man is heading to the seats by me. He touches the seat directly next to me and then leans over me with his face next to my ear and asks if he can share my popcorn. WHAT?! REALLY?!?!?!

I'm in a bit of a shock when I snorted and shook my head no. He ends up sitting with one chair between us. When I finished my popcorn I actually think about giving him the bag so he can go get himself a free refill. But I decide I don't want to encourage any weird behavior or thoughts of his towards me. My husband often says I'm a weirdo magnet.

So now the movie is playing. Many of the youngest children are up and out of their seats, playing in the aisles, fidgeting, wanting more snacks, etc. Then I hear one of the kids sneezing their little head off somewhere below me. I'm glad I'm not sitting down there!

A little bit later, one little girl who has been one of the worst fidgeters is moving up the aisle, playing around. She ends up sitting with some other people she obviously knows just a couple rows below mine. She's standing there, doing whatever fidgeting little kids do when they're not sitting and watching a movie as they are supposed to do, when she starts sneezing her little head off. I watch her continuing to sneeze all over the people's heads who are just inches in front of her. YUCK!

This is precisely why I do not ever like sitting in front of people. I want the very back seat, away from anyone who could breathe, cough or sneeze on me.

Last Christmas Eve service at the church we attended turned into one of horror for me. We sat in the very last row, as usual. All was good until more and more people kept coming in. That's a good thing, right? More people in church should always be a good thing.

Well, it turned bad when more chairs for extra rows of seating were put out. And now the last row we were sitting in no longer was the last row. Now we had another couple rows behind us, plus a few more chairs to the side of us.

I felt very anxious and nervous when a bunch of people sat behind us. That anxiety went through the roof when the teen girl directly behind me kept leaning forward into my "space" and I could feel her breath on the back of my head. I pointedly turned to look at her with her face so close to me, but she kept doing it. 

Then the coughing started. There were two of them coughing behind us. Plus one of them had very congested, wet sounding breathing. I'm ready to bolt out of my seat. I am beyond distressed at this point. My husband knows I'm freaking out inside and barely able to contain myself.

It wasn't long before I decide I can't take it anymore. Despite being in the midst of a very reverent service the night before Christmas, I stand up and make my way past the others in our row. My husband and I leave the church and go back home.

It's better to be safe and well than sick and sorry later, right?!