☕ My Job Interview, A Cold Brew, and One Very Entitled Grandpa: Is It Rudeness or Dementia?

☕ My Job Interview, A Cold Brew, and One Very Entitled Grandpa: Is It Rudeness or Dementia?

There I was — suit pressed, resume reviewed, coffee in hand, and nerves tingling like a live wire. I had snagged a patio table at my favorite café for a casual, yet career-changing, job interview over morning coffee. You know the vibe: birds chirping, sun gently shining, baristas calling out names with that sing-songy tone that makes everything feel full of possibility.

Enter... The Entitled Elder. 🧓💥

He shuffled in halfway through my very articulate explanation of “why I’m passionate about people-first leadership” and plopped himself down at the next table — or rather, claimed the airspace around us as his own.

At first, I thought he was just settling in. Maybe he’d open a paper, sip something hot, and nod politely. Nope. Instead, he turned to me mid-sentence and growled, “Can you stop talking so loud? I’m trying to enjoy some peace!”

Mind you, this was a public patio. Outdoor seating. Birds chirping. Coffee machines hissing. My voice? Polite, interview-level volume.

I blinked. My interviewer blinked. The coffee blinked (ok, not really, but it felt like it). For a moment, I wasn't sure if I was on a job interview or a hidden-camera reality show.

My internal monologue ran wild:

“Did I just get shushed by a stranger?”
“Is this… elder privilege?”
“Or am I being punked by the ghost of caffeine past?”
Of course, I kept my cool (because professionalism is a muscle, right?). But later, once the adrenaline wore off and I had a minute to breathe, I started wondering: Was that just old-fashioned rudeness, or could this have been something more serious?

Turns out, it could be both.

5 Reasons That Entitled Behavior Might Actually Be Dementia:
🔹 😕 Less empathy – Older adults with dementia can lose awareness of how their actions affect others
🔹 ⚖️ Poor judgment – Like demanding silence on a public patio... during someone else's interview
🔹 🚫 No impulse control – Speaking out without thinking is a classic frontal lobe red flag
🔹 😤 Confusion triggers anger – Loud noises or crowds can overwhelm them
🔹 🗣️ Lost social filter – Manners may fade as cognitive decline sets in

Now, I’m not saying Mr. Shouty McLatte was definitely showing early signs of dementia — maybe he was just having a rough morning and missed his muffin. But next time this happens? I’ll remember that entitled behavior in seniors might be more than attitude — it could be a clue.

Oh, and the interview?
I nailed it. 🙌
Because if I can stay cool under caffeine-fueled chaos and a cranky grandpa shouting at clouds, I can handle anything a new job throws at me.

 
#DementiaAwareness #CaregiverPerspective #JobInterviewFails #SeniorBehavior #FunnyButTrue #HomeHealthInsights #CoffeeShopChronicles #ElderEtiquetteOrEarlyDementia #PublicSpaceProblems