Main Character Syndrome

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The other day I was driving through a Publix parking lot when the car in front of me stopped at the crosswalk just in front of the store. A couple of customers used this break in traffic to get into the store or get to their vehicles. Then once the way was clear, I waited patiently for them to continue on as well.

They didn’t move.

15 seconds passed. Still no movement.

At around 30 seconds, they turned their hazards on to indicate they weren’t going anywhere. Then another 20-30 seconds later, finally the passenger exited the vehicle. All told it was probably a minute and a half from when they initially stopped to when they began moving again. But aside from some cursing from me, I couldn’t figure out what the passenger was doing that whole time. They knew there was a line of cars developing behind them but clearly weren’t in any rush to exit their own.

It was as if they didn’t care how they impacted anyone else as long as they weren’t inconvienced by having to walk more than a few steps from the front door.

***

This really bugs me because I abhore waiting outside the grocery store for my wife to “run in and get a couple of items”. I won’t do it (and she hates this about me). I would rather drop her off (quickly and efficiently), find a parking spot, and then when she exits the building, go an pick her up (again, quickly and efficiently). Barring the parking, if it is really going to be quick, I will drive around the building/parking lot a few times until she reappears.

Anything to not mess with anyone else’s day.

Image by Tung Lam from Pixabay

***

People who constantly back their cars and trucks into parking spots. I get why they do it, when they are ready to go, pulling out is much easier than backing out. A case could easily be made that there is a lower likelyhood of accidents from the action. All of that is good and well…

Except, when there are other cars trying to get passed you in a parking lot or parking deck.

You see, the backing in part ALWAYS takes longer than you just pulling in. Which means I’m forced to live on your schedule. You’ve impacted my time because you’ve designated that your time is more valuable than my time.

It drives me crazy.

***

I was ranting about these things the other day and realized both were really cases of Main Character Syndrome.

You know when you watch a show or movie or read a book, we’re following the main character(s). They are the most important people to the story, and it is no stretch to say there would be no story without them. We might care about secondary or tertiary characters, but that is normally through the lens of how they interact with the Main Characters. How will those smaller actions impact the overall PLOT.

That’s what these types of things are for me. These people who inconvience me (and you) are living their lives with no regard to anyone else. However, the second part of this is an odd one.

I don’t think these people are “bad people”.

If they block you in or delay you, it’s not because they are assholes. It’s because they legitimately can’t see that anyone else could ever be affected by them. We are simply background characters within their larger story. Likely never to cross their paths again.

The nameless and faceless masses.

***

I’m 100% sure we all do something throughout our daily lives where we give very little thought to how some seemingly minor action could have a negative consequence on someone else’s day. Because, we all likely have moments where we see ourselves as the Main Characters and not just random NPCs.

However, I’d like to hope that those moments are very rare for me. I really hope that I’m not the Main Character, but instead am someone who is a part of an ensemble. Maybe in a comedy series with a long life span on both network (or streaming) before eventually getting a syndication deal.

Though, that may not be too much better.

***

This one was half rant and half personal insight. It’s very rough, but it’s still in a raw form only recently bubbling to the surface. But it feels like a larger point could be made… I’m just not sure how to get there as of yet.

***

John McGuire is the writer of the sci-fi novel: The Echo Effect.

He is also the creator/author of the steampunk comic The Gilded Age. If you would like to purchase a copy, go here!

Click here to join John’s mailing list and receive preview chapters of upcoming novels, behind the scenes looks at new comics, and free short stories.

His other prose appears in The Dark That Follows, Hollow Empire, Tales from Vigilante City, Beyond the Gate, and Machina Obscurum – A Collection of Small Shadows.

He can also be found at www.johnrmcguire.com

About John McGuire

Writer of comics and novels. In 2006 his first short story "The God That Failed" was published by Terminus Media in their debut comic Evolution Book 1. Since that time he has had stories published in Terminus Media's Evolution Book 2 and Evolution Special, Kenzer and Company's The Knights of the Dinner Table, and Four J Publishing's The Burner #3. Currently he is eagerly awaiting the digital publishing of his first creator-owned comic The Gilded Age #1 to be published online as well as his first novel The Dark That Follows later this year.
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