December 16, 2019 – Christmas shopping and strangers

         “Are you in line?” I asked a woman as I stepped toward the print counter in the local Staples.

         “No, I am just waiting for my pictures,” she replied softly.

         She wasn’t much to look at. I know that sounds awful, but she looked down on her luck, clean, but in financial distress, looked hunched over with low self-esteem.  My heart goes out to the down trodden when I see them and I smiled at her hoping it would make her have a moment of brightness.  [I always wonder if that helps or harms – but, the angel in me does it anyway – I always think about my theory later, is it a good idea or bad idea.]

         My smiling suddenly opened a conversation.  She was intently looking at the “discount” table and asked me softly in a conspiratorial way,

         “Do you think that sign is correct?  Forty-six cents?  That can’t be right, they must have made a mistake.”

         Anything in Staples for 46¢ would be a steal to say the least, so of course I was curious.

         I picked up the item and said, “Let’s look at the SKU number and see if it is the same.”  I read out the first five digits and none of them matched the discount sign.  There were four items on the table above the paper sign.

         Next, the woman asked, “Would that make a good gift for a woman?”

         “Yes, I bought myself one last year, but not at this price.  Yes, any woman would enjoy this.”

         She searched my face and I saw doubt.  Now I was interested in purchasing this discounted item myself as I had several on my Christmas shopping list I was still cobbling together a bit of this and that to make a gift.

         “Why don’t I take one to the checkout over there and see if it rings up at 46¢.”  I glanced around at the person behind me in line and said, “I will be right back,” indicating that I was leaving my place in line and expected to retain my spot in the queue.  The gent nodded understanding.

         At the nearby check out a lady in a gorgeous velvet coat with fur collar was finalizing her sale.  When she was gone, I asked for a price check saying, “I and another woman can’t believe the sales price tag.”  The gal zapped it and said “46¢.” 

         “The price of a lifetime,” I exclaimed and the checkout gal replied, “Every once in a while I get a surprise like this – yes, that is the price.”

         I returned to the line and confirmed the price to the woman and she smiled at me.  Not until that moment did I realize the woman hadn’t had the courage to ask someone to confirm the price.  How sad it is that someone short of money or lacking self-esteem couldn’t muster the courage to ask the price of something to see if it was in her budget.  Possibly, in the past she had been embarrassed at a checkout and had to put something back.

         It reminded me of myself when I first started grocery shopping. I actually used one of those plastic counters that kept a running total of the items I put in my grocery basket to be sure I didn’t go over the cash I had in my wallet. Those were the “embarrassing” days of low income and strangers seeing me adding up every purchase looked down on me with pity.  Yes, those pitying eyes hurt, one never forgets them.  Looking at you, looking at what was in your basket, then looking at you again before they passed on.

         I asked the woman, “There are four, do you want them all? I’d actually like one or two, but you saw them first, it is your call,” being completely fair that she had spotted the sale and had every right to take all four.

         “I only need two, thank you,” she said with a soft smile and took one of each color, leaving me one of each color.

         “No, thank you, for finding such a deal of a lifetime.”

         The line queued and I stepped up to the print counter for the reason I was at Staples, but turned back and said, “Merry Christmas,” to her.

         The woman was lovingly stroking the two sale items in her hands and nodded back saying, “Merry Christmas to you too.”