This happened saturday and I keep replaying it and I don't know why it's hitting me this hard because nothing actually bad happened but also.
So I have this thing where I talk to myself when I'm alone. Not like full conversations, more just little comments on what I'm doing. I live alone and it makes errands feel less depressing, whatever, we don't need to unpack that. My friends know and think it's funny. I genuinely thought it was a private habit I only did when no one was around.
I'm at the supermarket, earphones in but nothing playing, just wearing them so people leave me alone. I'm in the bread aisle and I start doing the thing without even really thinking about it. Picking up loaves, putting them back, going "no, not you, not you either, what even is this one." Normal stuff. Then I find one I actually want and I go, out loud, "there you are. I've been looking for you my whole life."
I turn around and there is a woman standing like a meter behind me who has clearly been there for a while. She has a basket. She's just looking at me. I look at her. She looks at the bread. And then she goes "good choice" completely flat and walks away.
I don't know how long she was there. I don't know if she heard the whole bit or just the ending. I genuinely cannot decide which is worse and I've been thinking about it for three days which is probably a sign I need to go outside more, except clearly that's not going well for me either.
I saw her at the checkout. We made eye contact. She did a small nod. I looked away so fast I think I pulled something.
TL;DR: Was doing my thing where I narrate errands to myself, didn't notice a stranger right behind me, she heard me declare my love to a loaf of bread, said "good choice," and left. I am normal.