|
Saturday, February 12, 2005
The Little Pig Was Up Early....
You remember that story about the little pig who could not get to the fair before the big bad wolf arrived? Right then. Imagine a little old lady....me....toiling her way toward the ghetto grocery at 6:45 A.M. today, dragging along the collapseable shopping cart, hoping to arrive and return before the people in the yellow apartments are up and out.
The journey outward bound seemed a bit cold for this time of year in this place. I actually had to wear a jacket and I stopped to blow my nose several times. The nice part was that no one but me was out and about. I had all streets to myself...no running across the intersection where toys and a photo on the street light identify the last person to get smashed to death at that spot. I just strolled along and enjoyed the trip. Yes, I did have to pause to engage an elderly drunk in conversation. He insisted and I was glad to oblige. I have no idea what he was trying to tell me because his down-south accent was so thick it could not have been cut with a knife. He seemed to be satisfied that I listened and made sympathetic noises.
Later at the store I had the place to myself and the employees. The checkout was "manned" by their triplefast clerk and a huge, cheerful and funny college boy attending Old Dominion University up the road a few blocks. We all had a bunch of laughs and jokes and the college boy packed my groceries into the collapseable cart far more sensibly than any previous baggers have done. It's hard to pack one of these carts, and if done wrong, the soup cans are halfway to the ground before I reach the SoapSuds Car Wash.
Going home I only met a young man who carried a huge Santa's sack of dirty clothing and in his other hand was a gallon-sized jug of Cheer detergent. He gave me a big, gleaming white smile and a "God Bless". Also, on the way home, the air was warmer.
Whew! I made it all the way home before 8:00 A.M. Just as I reached my sidewalk, the school bus next door fired up. I waited to see who was driving today. It was sonny-boy. He said that he was going to drive neighborhood basketball teams to their games. These good people work all week at their jobs and on evenings and weekends coach basketball, football, and boxing for local youth. They bought a used school bus in order to more conveniently haul the kids to games/events. Nice.
So I was up early and now am home again. Saturday. It's all good so far.
View Latest Entries
|
