He was a typical little boy sitting in a grocery cart. He wanted to touch and pickup everything within range. Why not? That is what packaging is designed to do. Packages are colorful and have nice pictures on them specifically to get our attention. Instead of his mom giving him something to occupy him she just kept telling him in shorter and shorter phrases to keep his hands in the cart. As I walked by she looked up, smiled and greeted me in a sweet voice diametrically opposed to the one she was using with her little boy.
Why do we do that? I was nothing to her. I was just a face pushing a cart by the cereal. That little boy was, I assume, the heart and soul of her life. I have no doubt, should she have to, she would die for him. Yet, he was getting her worst and I, a stranger, was getting her best. Please, please, if you have to be rude be rude to strangers. If you have only a limited amount of love and niceness, then save it for your children and spouse. Don’t waste it on people you will never see again. Now I am not advocating public rudeness but I am sure you get my point. The people closest to us should get our best.
There is a scene in one of the old Rocky movies where the bar keeper tells Paulie to give Rocky his best. Rightfully so Paulie says, “Hey, what about me? I come in here every day and you never give me your best.” Good point, Paulie.
Written by Roger Bothwell on July 1, 2008.
Photograph by Belle Deesse.
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574