Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The Stranger (or was he)?

I was in the store the other day doing some shopping and this guy comes up to me and says's, "Don't I know you from somewhere"? I, not recognizing this guy but not wanting to be rude said " I don't know". Well, the guy was pretty insistent with me. "I know you from somewhere, I just can't put my finger on it". "Your name is Bob or Mike or something like that, right?" No, I answered. Not even close. "Are you sure you know me" I asked the guy. " Yeah" the guy says. "We used to work together or something". I started studying this guys features and got to thinking, gosh, maybe he does know me. Nothing about the guy was ringing any bells with me. Did I meet him one night at a party I thought to myself? Was I introduced once to this guy someplace and he had a better memory then I did? He was dressed a little to nicely to be doing some grocery shopping I thought to myself. He sported what looked to be a Italian silk smoking jacket. Under that was a cotton dress shirt that had been neatly pressed before putting on. Sensible pants with slip-on loafers on his feet. Could I have met this guy at a social function of some sorts? Was he a banking officer somewhere where I had once applied for a loan. By now I had started to get a little uncomfortable. I'm such a idiot I thought to myself. With my mind racing I glanced down to see what he had in his shopping cart. Things I would never buy nor would anyone else that I knew. He had a bag of pre-rinsed organic field greens picked in the mountains of Tibet by young gregorian chanting monks in training trying to raise money to pay for their continued enlightenment. There was a bottle of sauvignon blanc wine shipped from the napa valley. A box of frozen vegan patties that had a picture of a cow crying tears of joy while thanking the buyer for saving his life. A loaf of gluten free wheat and oat bread made by artisan bakers baked in clay ovens from the old world that had a slogan that said Man CAN live on OUR bread alone. Some tofu and beansprouts to make some sandwiches. A block of cheese made from the milk of the yemen mountain goat, made by the master cheese makers of Yemen who had been making cheese for centuries. As I quickly looked up I noticed the gentleman had been looking at the contents of my cart as well. A bag of pre-rinsed Dole iceberg lettuce. A six pack of Old Milwaukee. A box of frozen beef patties that had a picture of a cow crying as he was being led away by a couple stern looking guys while the cow's family watches and also is crying. A loaf of white wonder bread. A pack of Oscar Mayer baloney to make some sandwiches. A tub of helluva good cheese spread. He too quickly looked up and studied me once again. "You know, I might have you mistaken for someone else" he said to me. "Yeah, I think you did" was my answer to him. "If you would excuse me then" he said. Sure I answered. "Have a good day friend" I said as I turned and continued my shopping.

1 comment:

  1. Ren,
    This is my first time visiting "just my thoughts" and I am enjoying reading the blog. I have to pause for a moment and comment about "The Stranger (or was he)"? I loved this -- I thought is was great -- so did Nick he added that it was very well written.
    I have to say you and I have not been grocery shopping together in a long time. You see my cart would have a strange similarity to the stranger's but with a few exceptions.
    My organic field greens would not have been in the cart. My field greens would have been in my back yard, growing in the native soil with a fresh addition of some black gold (black angus manure) brought from the ancestral home farm. The chanting gregorian monks in the field would have a strong resemblence to Nick or I. Mostly me since you need the daylight to pick the greens.
    There would be no wine present in my cart because I have several carboys in the basement fermenting as I type. My wine is a full bodied, smooth, robust red wine just waiting for a homemade pasta and red sauce meal somewhere in the near future.
    There is no bread present in my cart because you just can not get a real piece of bread from the grocery store. Instead I have hard winter wheat in bulk in the cart to take home and grind for my handmade artisan breads baked on the stones in my oven. Some days I just have to cheat so there is a twenty five pound bag of organic unenriched flour with the germ restored in my cart for the days when I just do not have the time to do the milling myself.
    No wonder I do not have a job outside the house. Keep up the great thoughts.
    Love your baby sister Kimberly.

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