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Yesterday, an old lady let me know that everything I do is wrong.

Picture this: I’m walking my dog, Rhino, when I come across an old woman waiting for the lights to change. She smiles. She tells me that he’s going to get really big.

I decide that this is a good place to tie my shoe, because I’m starved for any kind of conversation. My neighbourhood is full of landed immigrants that don’t make eye contact, let alone talk to you.

I tell her that, no, he’s a chihuahua pomeranian mix, he’s not getting any bigger.

She looks at him for a second.

“You’ve never had a dog before, have you?”

I must have blinked a few times, I didn’t even know how to respond to that. I was confused. Never had a dog? I have never had less than two pets in my house, ever, and I’ve had at least five or six dogs in my lifetime.

Before I can wonder any more, she elaborates.

She’s talking about his harness. Apparently, because he has a harness and not a ‘choke chain’, he’s never going to listen to me and he’ll slip out and run away.

Now, I fully believe that flexi-leashes are stupid. They give a dog way too much freedom, and he forgets that you’re in control. At the same time, Rhino’s neck is the same size as his tiny head, and a leash would just slip right off. Not an option on Yonge Street.

She’s still talking, finding more things that I’m doing wrong.

That’s when it occurs to me:

This woman is attacking me.

It isn’t physical, but this woman is in my space making me feel like crap, and I don’t deserve it.

I didn’t ask for her ‘advice’, she simply dumped it on me. She knows nothing about me, but she’s judging me. I need to make a decision.

My options:

• Say **** you lady, I watch The Dog Whisperer !

Get in her face. Won’t feel better, really. I’ll just be putting out crappy vibes and people will see a young guy yelling at the elderly. She doesn’t think she’s doing anything wrong, so I’ll be ‘that rude boy’ to everyone she tells the story to today (and she will).

• Stand there and take it.

This is where wishy-washy Dan lived. Up until a few years ago, this would have been the option I take.

Smile politely, use active-listening, wait for a break (when they decide they’ve won, or stop) and excuse myself.

Screw that. I’m awesome and don’t deserve people’s crap.

• Walk away.

Here’s all I did. I didn’t wait for her to finish even her next sentence. I simply said ‘Alright, take care now.’ and left.

I said it in a dismissive way, but no one could say I was rude.

Five minutes later, she’s out of my life forever and I never have to worry about her again.

How do you deal with negative people?

When have you had to deal with people, and what did you do about it? Post your thoughts in the comments!