Friday, October 17, 2008

My Cantaloupe Story


I am telling this story because I just read one that reminded me of it in Paulz blog, only his was a lot more serious than mine. The ending just rang a bell with me. One day I decided to run to the grocery store on my lunch hour. I wasn't particularly rushed, but I didn't have a great deal of time to spare either. As I slowly moved down the aisle watching for a parking space, I saw one open up. Before I could pull in, however, a woman with a full cartload of groceries crossed in front of it and propped her cart against the side of her car intruding into the spot I was waiting for. She glanced at me and realized I was waiting for the spot but ignored me and proceeded to unload her groceries--bag after bag of them--into her car. Then she shoved the cart a little further into the empty space and went around and got in her car. So--I had to get out of my car and push her cart clear to make into the spot. As I moved her cart, I noticed that down on the very bottom rung under the basket she had left a cantaloupe. By now she's almost backed out and turns to look at me, at which point I raise my hand and point down to the forgotten cantaloupe. She got a terribly mean look on her face and to my complete astonishment, gave me the finger. Then she sped off.

I just stood there a second or two, shocked.

Then I picked up the cantaloupe and put it right in my car. And, here's where it reminds me of Paul's story; I pictured the look on her face when she got home and thought "now, where's that cantaloupe I just bought? It must be here somewhere." And slowly the light dawns as she realizes that I was simply trying to tell her she'd left it behind, and she made that rude gesture.

Well, she deserved it, and that cantaloupe was delicious.

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