In the days leading up to this mega, midweek holiday extravaganza, in Stew Leonards, a local mega specialty grocery store, a man took my basket containing a small filet, a pound of shrimp, and a well used Trader Joe grocery bag.
"I think you took my cart by accident," I said with a smile as I approached him closing in on the checkout line.
"I did NOT," he said with the determination of a person eager to get out of the frenzy of holiday shoppers. "Go get your own cart," he scoffed as he pushed into the checkout line.
I am really not sure why he was so grouchy or why he thought the cart was his, but in the end, it doesn't matter! Perhaps, he really needed to secure a filet, bag of shrimp, and a grocery bag without waiting in the long line of holiday shoppers!
Perhaps, I am growing "soft" in my old age or perhaps I have read How the Grinch stole Christmas too many times, but I left with a shrug and the Grinch's message in my head....
And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
Whatever you are celebrating (or not celebrating) and whoever you are with (or not with), I hope you find the peace and hope of this season of lights and miracles and your own grocery cart!
6 comments:
Couldn’t he tell by the items in the cart that it wasn’t his? Well, in the spirit of the season, hope he enjoyed his purchases. Also hope you were able to replace the items for yourself. Wishing you the best of this holiday season. arjeha
He went with his truth and your cart. You got a slice, and hopefully also got your shopping done. Happy holidays!
Now the mystery is what happened to his cart? I wonder if he will realize that it wasn't his and send an apology into the universe.
Too bad you couldn’t recover it after he paid for it 🤣🤣
I think he was so focused on just getting DONE with his shopping that he could not even imagine that it was not his cart! I THINK he must have realized he was wrong when he went to use the VERY used and NOT VERY clean bag!
I imagine this must have been frustrating in the moment, but you retell it with such good cheer that I found myself giggling a little as I imagined the moment when he realized that he did, in fact, have your cart. Glad it didn't fluster you too much & here's hoping that your moment of grace opened a wonderful holiday for you.
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