Another Story

I was just at the grocery store. I found some mangoes at a good price and was waiting in the checkout line. I'm sure that I looked very happy. The anticipation and the excitement of fresh, cool avo-mango mash was on my mind. I'm not exactly sure what it means to beam but I think that I was beaming.

I was carrying all of my stuff in my arms. I always do that because it limits the amount of things that I can buy. Today, though, I was really pushing the limits; rye crackers clenched in my armpits, 3 greek yogurts awkwardly griped in my fist, mangoes, avocados and other produce dangling in bags from my hands.....and more (you get the picture). I was a disaster waiting to happen.

The lady in front of me in the checkout line noticed my awkward bundle and quickly made a space on the conveyor belt thing for me. I swooped my stuff down onto it and, somewhere in the middle of all of that movement, I gave her a smile and word of appreciation. After I had straitened up I noticed that she was holding me in her gaze. She was smiling. At first I thought that she was just acknowledging the thanks that I had given her, but it went on for an uncomfortable amount of time. Finally, she said, "You must be going to school". - Now, keep in mind that this is all happening at 8:30pm - I was blown away by what she said. I spent some time trying to figure out why she would say such a thing but in frustration I gave up and asked, "Why would you say that"? - What about me made this woman think that I was going to school? It surely wasn't my strange assortment of groceries. Was it my age? Was it my glasses? - She didn't really answer my question but I caught her eyes darting down to my chest area. I was wearing a tie (sometimes I do that) and a cardigan. I looked at her really hard. I think that I had that squinting quizzical look on my face. Finally I ventured to carefully ask, "Do all people who wear ties go to school"? She shrugged, grabbed her bags, and left.

It was odd.