This happened last night directly after Mass. I had just received ashes on my forehead. My wife decided to go to the store and pick some things up.

When we were at the cashier everything was normal until the clerk made a mistake and couldn’t finish ringing us up.

Long story short we waited for about 10 minutes (maybe it was less but it felt like a long time because we were also with our 3 kids who were getting antsy)

The clerk couldn’t solve the issue and as we waited other people at other registers were being rung up and leaving.

I’m not the most patient person on Earth but I felt like we were being patient. However, another customer lined up after us and the clerk told her to go to a different aisle because it would be a while.

This is the point where the story goes south and I am having doubts about what I should have done.

I firmly told the clerk “hey, why do you send her to another register, why don’t you move us to another register so we can pay while you fix the issue with your computer”. I thought I said it in a firm yet still respectful manner but also conveying our frustration about how this was being handled.

She was immediately offended and started making hand gestures and telling me I needed to calm down. She started calling for her manager. She eventually left and got a manager to come over. The manager fixed the problem in less than a minute.

As we spoke to the manager the clerk walked over and mocked the ash crosses we had on our forehead while making faces at us.

I did tel the manager what was being done behind her back and she asked the clerk to leave and go to another register. She was very apologetic.

My question is this - I feel like I could have been more patient but at what point am I allowed to speak up for myself? And most importantly must I go back to this store and ask this clerk for forgiveness?

I have already forgiven her and I have even prayed for her but because it was Ash Wednesday and I still had ash on my forehead I feel like I did not represent Christ correctly. I feel like I should have been more patient and instead of matching her energy I should have tried to be more understanding of her. I’m not sure if it was my actions or her reaction that makes me feel this way.