I ran into a couple the other day who I haven’t seen in quite some time. We happened to both be standing in line at the supermarket and I did my best to avoid making eye contact with them in hopes they wouldn’t see me.
As I tried to rush the cashier along by not giving in to her attempts at small talk, it looked like I was in the clear and would be out the door before I was spotted.
“Hey Scott, how have you been?”
I mumbled a four letter word beginning with the letter “F,” took a deep-breath and said with a bit of false excitement, “Hey, good to see ya!”
Being it was a Monday, and I only shave my face and head on Tuesday’s, Thursday’s and Saturday’s, I had what one might call, Five O’Clock Shadow.
“Wow, look at you with all the gray. You’re starting to look old.”
I sarcastically replied, “Yeah, I’m over 40 now.” Not wanting to let these two get away without a parting gift, I looked at them and said, “You guys looked a lot better last time I saw you, do you go to buffets a lot?”
Not wanting to let them get in another, I wished them a Merry Christmas and continued to push my cart out the door.
I remember somewhere along the course of my upbringing my mother saying, “If you don’t have anything nice to say to someone, don’t say anything.” Pretty good words to live by, even tho I didn’t heed them this time around.
So next time you see me in line at the supermarket, having a bowl of soup at the deli, or putting gas in my car…. smile and nod. I’ll return the favor.
Just don’t say I’m starting to look old.