Sometimes I am bored/blocked/fed-up/burnt-out and need a break from stringing together words for pay.
There comes a time in a man’s life when he has to make a choice and stand-up for what he believes. Despite contrived depictions of heroism found in movies and literature, it is never difficult in real life to recognize when the choice is presented. Heroes don’t commit acts and make decisions devoid of any true understanding of what is at risk. Pivotal moments in the course of mankind are never hidden. It is always strikingly obvious when and why hard choices must be made.
My moment arrived outside of a grocery store shortly after I had purchased some biscuits. I hadn’t intended to be there having already spent a tiresome day at the office. In fact, I had driven past the grocer’s on route to my home envisioning a quiet evening in front of the television. However, I knew the moment I walked in the front door of my two-bedroom vinyl-clad bungalow that something was amiss. My wife was framed by the door that led into the brightly-lit kitchen, cast in an ominous silhouette.
“Did you remember the biscuits?”
I felt the air suck out of the room.
“Hmmm?”
“The biscuits. You said you could stop on the way home from work and get biscuits.”
“I forgot.”
“It’s just that … you said you would…”
“Right….”
“…stop and get biscuits.”
“Do you want me to go get the biscuits now?”
“Whatever you think, it’s just that I was planning on making chili for dinner tomorrow night and thought it would be nice to have some biscuits with the chili.”
“So we don’t need the biscuits for tonight’s dinner?”
“No. I’m making a crock pot of chili for dinner tomorrow night.”
“What are we having tonight?”
My wife sighed and sunk her shoulder against the door frame.
“Why won’t you let me get close to you? Why is it that whenever we talk, I mean really talk, you change the subject?”
“I could get the biscuits tomorrow on the way home from work.”
“Don’t you have that thing with Steve?”
“Hmmm?”
“You told Steve you’d help him move that bureau from the bedroom to his garage.”
“Well, I think I’ll have time to stop and get biscuits and still help Steve after I get home.”
“And if you don’t?”
“It shouldn’t take long to buy biscuits.”
“A lot of things that shouldn’t take too long sometimes do.”
“I could go now. I still have my coat on.”
“If you could, I mean … well I don’t know what I mean.”
“Yes you do.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Say it.”
“I’d just sleep better knowing we had the biscuits.”
I was almost out the door when her voice caught me.
“Sloppy Joes!”
“Hmm?”
“I made Sloppy Joes tonight. I had to use up the spaghetti sauce. It’s been in the fridge for a couple of days”
I left the door open and went back and kissed her. She smiled and looked up at me.
“We’re good?”
“Yea” I said, “we’re good.”
“I’ll put your Sloppy Joes on a plate in the oven on a low temperature so it will stay warm.”
I drove to the grocery store and quickly found a parking spot. It wasn’t very busy inside but it still took me a little while to find where they kept the biscuits. I had been a little nervous after all that had happened but it turned out they had many packages of biscuits left. Still, I decided to buy two packages since I thought it would be a good idea to keep a second one in the freezer in case I forgot to stop and buy biscuits the next time my wife made chili or stew which she also likes to have biscuits with.
I scanned the cashiers trying to gauge which line would move the quickest. I usually try to avoid cashiers who appear nice and smile a lot because they often chat to their customers, which makes the line move slower. One line in particular seemed to be moving at a reasonable pace so I headed in that direction. As I approached I became aware of something moving in the periphery of my vision. It was a man carrying a pre-made fruit platter. I quickened my steps but he seemed to keep pace. In my estimation my trajectory and my arrival were enough to solidify my spot as next in line. It was very clear that my intent to choose that cashier was obvious. However, the man inched in front of me. It struck me as a little like being robbed of a parking spot you were readying to back into by someone approaching from the other direction and driving in car forward. We settled into the line and he never so much as gave a glance back.
I stared at the back of his head which was slightly above my eye line. He didn’t have a very good haircut. It was fine but certainly not something that would make you think, “Wow, what a nice haircut.” The lady in front of him made quick work of her transaction and paid with cash.
Mr. High and Mighty placed his fruit tray on the conveyor and smiled at the cashier.
“Will that be everything?” she said.
“Yes, just the fruit tray.”
“Looks good.”
“It better be at these prices.”
They both laughed. I found his laugh to be a bit forced and phony like he was trying too hard to impress her. As if he even had a chance of dating the cashier.
I was beginning to grow impatient so I set my two packages of biscuits down on the conveyor assuming they would get the hint.
She told him to have a good day but I could tell she was just being polite. She pushed a button with her foot. My biscuits moved towards her.
“Some guys, huh.”
“Will that be everything?”
“THESE BISCUITS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE!”
I got into my car and placed the biscuits on the passenger seat. There was little traffic because most people had already finished their work day and were at home, not out buying biscuits. I eased out of the parking lot and settled at a stoplight. At least this time I was first in line. That’s when I noticed him standing at the bus stop holding his fruit platter.
There comes a time when a man needs to be a man, needs to stand-up and be counted. I lowered my window a few inches and waited keeping a close eye of the stop lights for the traffic crossing in front of me. It switched from green to amber. I lowered my window a little more, brazen and inflamed with machismo. The light switched from amber to red and a split second later I was given a green light.
“IF I WERE YOU I WOULDN’T BE TERRIBLY PLEASED WITH MY HAIRCUT!”
I jammed the gas pedal down and sped away before he could reply.
Biscuits
There comes a time in a man’s life when he has to make a choice and stand-up for what he believes. Despite contrived depictions of heroism found in movies and literature, it is never difficult in real life to recognize when the choice is presented. Heroes don’t commit acts and make decisions devoid of any true understanding of what is at risk. Pivotal moments in the course of mankind are never hidden. It is always strikingly obvious when and why hard choices must be made.
My moment arrived outside of a grocery store shortly after I had purchased some biscuits. I hadn’t intended to be there having already spent a tiresome day at the office. In fact, I had driven past the grocer’s on route to my home envisioning a quiet evening in front of the television. However, I knew the moment I walked in the front door of my two-bedroom vinyl-clad bungalow that something was amiss. My wife was framed by the door that led into the brightly-lit kitchen, cast in an ominous silhouette.
“Did you remember the biscuits?”
I felt the air suck out of the room.
“Hmmm?”
“The biscuits. You said you could stop on the way home from work and get biscuits.”
“I forgot.”
“It’s just that … you said you would…”
“Right….”
“…stop and get biscuits.”
“Do you want me to go get the biscuits now?”
“Whatever you think, it’s just that I was planning on making chili for dinner tomorrow night and thought it would be nice to have some biscuits with the chili.”
“So we don’t need the biscuits for tonight’s dinner?”
“No. I’m making a crock pot of chili for dinner tomorrow night.”
“What are we having tonight?”
My wife sighed and sunk her shoulder against the door frame.
“Why won’t you let me get close to you? Why is it that whenever we talk, I mean really talk, you change the subject?”
“I could get the biscuits tomorrow on the way home from work.”
“Don’t you have that thing with Steve?”
“Hmmm?”
“You told Steve you’d help him move that bureau from the bedroom to his garage.”
“Well, I think I’ll have time to stop and get biscuits and still help Steve after I get home.”
“And if you don’t?”
“It shouldn’t take long to buy biscuits.”
“A lot of things that shouldn’t take too long sometimes do.”
“I could go now. I still have my coat on.”
“If you could, I mean … well I don’t know what I mean.”
“Yes you do.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Say it.”
“I’d just sleep better knowing we had the biscuits.”
I was almost out the door when her voice caught me.
“Sloppy Joes!”
“Hmm?”
“I made Sloppy Joes tonight. I had to use up the spaghetti sauce. It’s been in the fridge for a couple of days”
I left the door open and went back and kissed her. She smiled and looked up at me.
“We’re good?”
“Yea” I said, “we’re good.”
“I’ll put your Sloppy Joes on a plate in the oven on a low temperature so it will stay warm.”
I drove to the grocery store and quickly found a parking spot. It wasn’t very busy inside but it still took me a little while to find where they kept the biscuits. I had been a little nervous after all that had happened but it turned out they had many packages of biscuits left. Still, I decided to buy two packages since I thought it would be a good idea to keep a second one in the freezer in case I forgot to stop and buy biscuits the next time my wife made chili or stew which she also likes to have biscuits with.
I scanned the cashiers trying to gauge which line would move the quickest. I usually try to avoid cashiers who appear nice and smile a lot because they often chat to their customers, which makes the line move slower. One line in particular seemed to be moving at a reasonable pace so I headed in that direction. As I approached I became aware of something moving in the periphery of my vision. It was a man carrying a pre-made fruit platter. I quickened my steps but he seemed to keep pace. In my estimation my trajectory and my arrival were enough to solidify my spot as next in line. It was very clear that my intent to choose that cashier was obvious. However, the man inched in front of me. It struck me as a little like being robbed of a parking spot you were readying to back into by someone approaching from the other direction and driving in car forward. We settled into the line and he never so much as gave a glance back.
I stared at the back of his head which was slightly above my eye line. He didn’t have a very good haircut. It was fine but certainly not something that would make you think, “Wow, what a nice haircut.” The lady in front of him made quick work of her transaction and paid with cash.
Mr. High and Mighty placed his fruit tray on the conveyor and smiled at the cashier.
“Will that be everything?” she said.
“Yes, just the fruit tray.”
“Looks good.”
“It better be at these prices.”
They both laughed. I found his laugh to be a bit forced and phony like he was trying too hard to impress her. As if he even had a chance of dating the cashier.
I was beginning to grow impatient so I set my two packages of biscuits down on the conveyor assuming they would get the hint.
She told him to have a good day but I could tell she was just being polite. She pushed a button with her foot. My biscuits moved towards her.
“Some guys, huh.”
“Will that be everything?”
“THESE BISCUITS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE!”
I got into my car and placed the biscuits on the passenger seat. There was little traffic because most people had already finished their work day and were at home, not out buying biscuits. I eased out of the parking lot and settled at a stoplight. At least this time I was first in line. That’s when I noticed him standing at the bus stop holding his fruit platter.
There comes a time when a man needs to be a man, needs to stand-up and be counted. I lowered my window a few inches and waited keeping a close eye of the stop lights for the traffic crossing in front of me. It switched from green to amber. I lowered my window a little more, brazen and inflamed with machismo. The light switched from amber to red and a split second later I was given a green light.
“IF I WERE YOU I WOULDN’T BE TERRIBLY PLEASED WITH MY HAIRCUT!”
I jammed the gas pedal down and sped away before he could reply.
