No more small talk

Anybody who really knows me, knows that I am very discreet. I don't like to draw attention to myself in public but rather be the observer. Well today, while browsing the drug store for a fan for my house because it's 100 degrees, I notice that the selection is slim and not only that, the fans are ridicilously priced.  I glance at the lady examining the selection too and mention out loud "it looks like they raised the prices for us because it's so hot"  The woman looks at me and says loudly "What?" (in hind sight I realized that she must have been hard of hearing) I repeat my statement louder and she then replies 5 decibles louder than me. "Yeah, and they don't have any wattage information so you can't compare the different fans..." I was acutely aware that everyone in the store could probably hear this woman. I was no longer interested in small talk with this loud person but she kept going. I responded out of politeness and she kept talking loudly about the lack of specifications on the box. 

I expected to say something, and for her to respond and that would be the end of it. Not a long conversation and not at full volume. Oh well. So much for small talk.

You want the what cake?

My son Elijah turns 5 on Wednesday and we were having a small party to celebrate. I take him to the bakery like I do every year to pick out a cake. You know, a football cake or baseball cake, or maybe a Cars cake or Hula Hawaiian cake like last year. So I show him the 20 or so cakes in the display case and his #1 pick is the snow white cake with a big figurine of snow white and a castle in the background. "You sure you want that cake son?" "Yes, I want the princess cake!" (The princess cake is absolutely not an option. Not just the gender role thing but the Disney marketing machine has tricked my son into thinking he wants 'princess cake'.) "Elijah, I'm sorry son, the 'princess' cake is sold out. What's your second pick?" "Oh, ummm, I'll take the baseball cake." "Oookkk, baseball cake it is!"
As I happily order the baseball cake I wonder: what is my fear with my son getting a princess cake? Am I training him to be sexist by limiting his options for expression? Answer to self: Oh well, at least he got to pick from the football or baseball cake. He'll get over it and I'm already over it.