Crying In Public
By lilacskies
@lilacskies (7530)
United States
March 3, 2025 12:20pm CST
I don't know if you've ever done this before, but I admit, I have and it was not a pretty sight. Nope. It was ugly crying all the way. I didn't cry in public today, but I witnessed someone doing it and it hurt to see that.
After going to the bank this morning, I went back to my car and was sitting in my seat trying to catch my breath. I hate going to the bank. The bank tellers are always so snooty and rude. I have yet to meet a nice bank teller there. So I am always left breathless leaving that wretched place and need a few minutes to calm down. I was sitting in the car just staring ahead when I saw a woman sitting in the driver's seat of her car across my parking spot crying. Tears just falling from her cheeks. She got out of the car still crying and just hunched over and cried even harder.
It hurt to see that. So many people suffering out there. Some in silence and some just can't take it anymore and the dam breaks and they cry in public like this. I know. I've been there. I'm still there. I try not to cry in public, but I have done it. A lot. In secret sometimes like in my car and sometimes right there in an alley, the road, next to my car in a parking lot, so many places.
I don't know if the woman kept crying next to her car in the parking lot and for how long. It wasn't in my place to approach her and ask her what's wrong. I wouldn't want to be disturbed if I were in her place. I drove back home feeling upset. I hope she is doing much better now and whatever made her cry is behind her. I hope letting out the tears helped her.
10 people like this
9 responses
@FourWalls (71773)
• United States
8h
I was so overcome by emotion when I was standing on the observation deck at the Flight 93 National Memorial that I started crying. A lady came over and gave me a hug. I don’t know if it was because I had my Navy veteran baseball cap on or she was just comforting someone who needed it.
3 people like this
@lilacskies (7530)
• United States
8h
That is so sad. And it's so touching that the woman came over and gave you a hug. That was very sweet of her. I hope you are doing much better now. Some things make us so emotional and when we think about it, we are not over it. We still cry just remembering those things.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (71773)
• United States
8h
@lilacskies — I had a hard time at the Vietnam Wall, too, and seeing the oil from the Arizona in Pearl Harbor every day I took the ferry over to Ford Island.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (41341)
•
8h
@FourWalls
Oh, I had a really hard time at the Vietnam wall. So, so many lives represented.
1 person likes this
@somewitch (2352)
•
9h
My heart breaks whenever I see someone crying, so I don't like crying in public because I don't want anyone to hurt along. Yeah, approaching that woman could have made things more uncomfortable for the both of you. I don't even believe there is a clear right or wrong in such situation, I'd just follow my instincts. Introversion also makes it harder to do something about it. I hope that woman is doing better too. 
3 people like this
@lilacskies (7530)
• United States
8h
Me too. It makes me cry inside watching other people cry. It takes a lot for me not to cry myself. I have tears in my eyes right now just thinking about that woman. She expressed so much sorrow. I wanted to approach her, but I am an introvert and also I didn't want to disturb her. She was alone and she might have wanted to be alone and just let out the tears in peace. I hope she is doing much better now. I wanted to stay longer, but I didn't want her to see me watching her. That could've made her feel even worse. I know it would make me feel that way if I were in her situation.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (185905)
• United States
8h
Poor thing, I bet there are a lot of people crying out there these days. We live in a tough time. However, it may have been something deeply personal to her. I might have asked her if she was OK, and if she wanted to talk..but if she said no, I would just leave it be.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (185905)
• United States
8h
@lilacskies Yes, its kind of hard to know what to do in that type of situation. BTW, how did your interview go?
1 person likes this
@lilacskies (7530)
• United States
8h
@snowy22315 Yes, it is. I was hesitant about approaching her. I didn't want to offend her or upset her. Some people don't want to be disturbed when they are crying. I sure don't. I want to be left to cry in peace. Thank you for asking. I haven't had my interview yet. It starts in the evening. I'm currently at home resting. The owner, my potential boss, will start the interview in the evening because the business isn't open in the daytime. I'll let you know how it goes. I'll make a post about it when I come home.
1 person likes this
@lilacskies (7530)
• United States
8h
Yes, it was hard to see that. I didn't know what to do except sit there for a bit and leave. I didn't want to approach her and make her feel uncomfortable. She was having a moment of vulnerability and I didn't want to disturb her. I hope she is doing much better now. She had so much sorrow and despair. It was so heartbreaking.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (75568)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
1h
I have, and I'm not asshamed of it, either. It's healthy to let the tears flow. I am sure she'll be okay. Had she waited until she got home, it could've been a lot worse. We need that mental reset sometimes.
1 person likes this
@lilacskies (7530)
• United States
1h
Me too. Sometimes I need to let it out and if that's in public, so be it. I can't just stop my tears from flowing. They are going to come out anyway. I just accept it as it is. I hope so. She looked very vulnerable and sorrowful. I hope crying helped her.
@MarieCoyle (41341)
•
8h
I probably would have gone to ask her if she needed assistance of some sort..,.maybe she did. Chances are good I would be unable to meet her needs, depending on what they are--but sometimes, people just reach a point that they can't go on for a bit, until they let it out. I hope she is OK.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41341)
•
30m
@lilacskies
I can understand that logic...I think I would have asked, but that's just me.
1 person likes this
@lilacskies (7530)
• United States
8h
I just let her be because I thought about how I would feel in her shoes and I wouldn't want someone to approach me and disturb in my moment of vulnerability. I hope she is doing better. I have been in her same position multiple times. Sometimes it's just impossible to hold it in.
1 person likes this
@lilacskies (7530)
• United States
4h
That's right. When the sorrow hits you, the dam breaks and you just start crying. Me too. I've lost count of how many times I've cried in my car.
@RasmaSandra (82855)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
5h
I feel so sorry for that woman. Some people cannot help it if they are over emotional,
1 person likes this
@lilacskies (7530)
• United States
4h
Me too. Life is so hard. Sometimes you just can control yourself. You have to cry and let it all out. Hurts to think about.
