SELFISHNESS OR ALTRUISM?

Yesterday I was waiting for my son to finish his grocery shopping… I had to wait a long time… first I went to the area where there were tables and chairs and ate a muffin… I made a few phone calls on my cell phone.  I can’t get any reception at my house so I have to do long distance calling elsewhere.   

As I was leaving a message two people decided to sit down and both scraped the chairs along the tiled floor where they made loud screeching sounds; thus destroying my important message… I was annoyed.  I gave them the evil eye and left.  I passed the muffin tray where I had just pick up one of the last muffins in the tray. It looked like someone had nibbled all around the edge of the muffin yet I had to pay full price, but now ‘low and behold’ there was a tray with a tray of beautifully formed bran new muffins… I grumbled to myself and headed to my car where I hoped my son was waiting… the temp was still 85F at 6:00 PM and humidity 85%... I decided my ice-cream wouldn’t last long so I went back into the store where it was much cooler… I sat down on the bench provided and with nothing else to do, I started people watching… 

First I noticed that many of the cashiers were young.  Several young men appeared to be gay.  I wondered about this. Was the hiring manager gay too? All the cashiers looked like they came from another towns… My town doesn’t have many YUPI children.  Then I witnessed several very tall women, many more than I had seen in other grocery stores in the area… there are three grocery stores within 5 miles.  I wondered if all the tall women only shopped here at this store or if they were summer people. Then I noticed that everyone seemed to be dressed up and this was only Tuesday; that is, except for one woman who was dressed provocatively with next to nothing under her tunic. I thought maybe she had gone swimming as this is a seaside resort town.  Next I noticed that everyone’s mouth was turned down.  This perplexed me as it was cool in the grocery store… maybe they didn’t relish going out into the hot weather again.  

But, this bothered me the most… how can everyone be so miserable don’t they know what they are projecting?  I wondered if my mouth was turned down too.  I touched my face and sure enough my mouth was also frowning or turned down. I tried to change it. I saw a man coming towards me and I smiled… He tried but didn’t quite make it but his eyes looked happier as he passed me.  

Next there was a man coming towards me as if to sit down.  I smiled and his frown turned into a genuine smile and he sat next to me on the bench.   I struck up conversation about the shoppers leaving the store and so we both observed them. Only one pretty lady didn’t have a frown on her face, all the rest did. 

Then a young man walking towards us stopped and hoisted a gallon jug of iced tea and started drinking it right from the bottle. A pretty blond, well groomed, lady, also with a frown, took a double-take and tried to pretend she didn’t see it but my ‘partner in crime’ and I smiled and I said, “thirsty.”  Not only did she smile but broke out laughing. My partner asked the young man, “How does it taste?” To which the young man replied, “Football!” 

That’s all it took. We were all in a good mood and smiling and laughing.  My ‘partner in crime’s wife appeared and he got up to leave.  My son came with all his groceries and we left too. But, as we were loading the car my "partner in crime" and his wife gave my son and I a big wave and bigger smiles. 

Was I selfish? Maybe. I didn’t think of it at the time.  I wasn’t planning to create anything.  I just felt uncomfortable sitting on a bench with people looking at me, judging me.  Maybe that’s selfish. I couldn’t stand it and changed the equation. In the process I made others happy and gave myself a shot of endorphins.  

 Be good to yourself. Smiles are contagious.  Give a few to the unsuspecting and see what happens.

Good night blogger, the sun is coming up and I have to get a few winks in before doing more homework.

Sleepy Sally Sandman