My sense of relief at getting a tote and shirt was short lived, before it hit me like a thunderbolt that I hadn't seen the scarf. I raced back over to the accessories rack, but no more than three minutes later, it was completely picked clean. My heart sank as I made my way to the fitting room to try on the shirts.
Outside, I encountered a young woman standing in front of a shopping cart, holding up the cat scarf to examine it. I uncharacteristically approached her, and in a feline fashion induced frenzy blurted out, "I'll trade you a shirt for that scarf!"
She thought about it for a moment, nodding her head and giving me a sad look. The woman next to her, who appeared to be her mom, delivered the final, crushing blow: "Sorry, we're cat people."
Admittedly, it took everything in me not to shout back "If you only knew!" - which I didn't, because I am (mostly) a sane person and, um - it was just a scarf. I certainly couldn't begrudge them for liking cats, and in retrospect, I probably should've just given them my business card and chalked it up to marketing experience.
In the end, my cat lady karma paid off and I eventually got a scarf (which I proudly wear every day to show that I am a cat person™) thanks to Janine and Cree. While at the time I beat myself up for not being able to get one for myself, it honestly means that much more because it came from the hands of fellow cat lovers and friends.
I don't need anyone to tell me there are all kinds of cat people in this world, but a heartwarming video like this helps to remind us we're not alone (even if it that means we all want to wear the same scarf). However, if eating ice cream in my pajamas is all it takes to earn the "crazy cat lady" moniker these days - then count me in!
