A Little Bit of Magic
The other day I was thinking to myself that it’s been a long time since something really good has happened - something to be excited about, like a vacation, a great opportunity of some sort, or an odd experience that lifts me up inside and makes my world a little brighter. You know, those magic moments that make your soul sing quietly to itself - like meeting The Great Artist . I want more of those please.
As I sat there leaning forward with my elbows on my knees, staring at the floor, distracted in thought, my eyes slowly drifted and settled on the things that were wrapped around my feet.
Have you ever worn something for so long that you become blind to the fact that you shouldn’t be seen in public in it? Something that should be donated to a bonfire, or perhaps, a landfill? Something so polluted that if you wear it, you should be hosed down by an exterminator and sentenced to community service for violating the footwear decency laws?
As I sat there leaning forward with my elbows on my knees, staring at the floor, distracted in thought, my eyes slowly drifted and settled on the things that were wrapped around my feet.
Have you ever worn something for so long that you become blind to the fact that you shouldn’t be seen in public in it? Something that should be donated to a bonfire, or perhaps, a landfill? Something so polluted that if you wear it, you should be hosed down by an exterminator and sentenced to community service for violating the footwear decency laws?
“Something’s gotta change” I determined. “And that change is going to happen NOW.”I marched off to a well-known store in search of new sneakers to replace the homeless footwear look I was sporting.
I found a pair on sale that I really liked and proceeded to strut back and forth in them, checking for comfort and fit. I jumped up and down a few times like a runner who’s shaking off nerves before their big race. Smiling, I checked myself out in the mirror while turning my ankles from side-to-side staring wide-eyed at how pretty they looked. Perfect. Mission accomplished.
I returned to the bench to switch back to my war-torn, battered sneakers and was struck by emotions that I hadn‘t seen coming. It felt like I was being forced to return to my humble beginnings. A starting place that I had been catapulted from and had no desire to return to.
I slipped out of my new delights and back into the old. A small glimpse of footwear luxury only a memory now, but it was just a matter of time till I returned to the good life that my soles could be proud of.
I dashed over to the cashier who removed the plastic security thing. “That’ll be $59.99“.
“But, they are on sale for $39.99” I told her.
She looked at the other cashier standing next to her and asked if she should give them to me at that price and then looked back at me. “You should really go to the check-out counter in the shoe department. They‘ll be able to help you.”
Sigh~
“O - k. I‘ll check the price again to make sure it‘s right”, I said cooperatively.
Turns out there were two similar-looking sneakers and naturally I had the more expensive one. I told the cashier in the shoe department that she could re-attach the security thing, which she did, and then she headed off to help another customer.
I found other sneakers but they either didn’t have my size or didn’t fit right, so after much wasted time, I found the original pair still in their box on the counter.
I grabbed the box and darted back to the original cashiers who watched me curiously as I took my place in line. When I approached the counter, they both leaned in to see what my story was and why I was back after they'd shoo'd me away.
“You were right. These weren’t on sale but I’ll take them anyway. I was just hoping to get the ones on sale. The lady in the shoe department is busy helping someone else", I said.
She seemed satisfied and rung up my order, “That’ll be $59.99.”
I handed her three $20.00 bills and waited for the receipt, which the computer was not producing. She tilted her computer screen so the cashier next to her could see it and kept pointing at it without saying anything. A private conversation was going on that I was not privy to - like being at the doctor's and something goes wrong and the staff reads each others eyes for direction trying not to alarm the patient. But we all know in those moments, something is going on - something they're not telling me.
Finally, she looked at me with a confused but delighted expression, “Looks like you just got a complimentary $50.00 gift card.”
I felt my eyebrows lower and scrunch together forming a straight line above my eyes. They were toying with me and I wondered where the hidden camera was and who the people were that were watching me from another room, laughing and pointing.
“What? Is this some kind of promotional thing? Like, every 1,000th person gets a free gift card or something? Is it something random? Is it because I'm special? Do you think I'm a winner?"
“I don’t know anything about this, but look, it says right here”, she said pointing to the receipt and then handing me the gift card.”
I looked up inquisitively, smiled and hustled my behind out there before my luck ran out.
Thank you Universe! It’s a small gesture, but I guess it's proof you were listening.
“But, they are on sale for $39.99” I told her.
She looked at the other cashier standing next to her and asked if she should give them to me at that price and then looked back at me. “You should really go to the check-out counter in the shoe department. They‘ll be able to help you.”
Sigh~
“O - k. I‘ll check the price again to make sure it‘s right”, I said cooperatively.Turns out there were two similar-looking sneakers and naturally I had the more expensive one. I told the cashier in the shoe department that she could re-attach the security thing, which she did, and then she headed off to help another customer.
I found other sneakers but they either didn’t have my size or didn’t fit right, so after much wasted time, I found the original pair still in their box on the counter.
I grabbed the box and darted back to the original cashiers who watched me curiously as I took my place in line. When I approached the counter, they both leaned in to see what my story was and why I was back after they'd shoo'd me away.
“You were right. These weren’t on sale but I’ll take them anyway. I was just hoping to get the ones on sale. The lady in the shoe department is busy helping someone else", I said.
She seemed satisfied and rung up my order, “That’ll be $59.99.”
I handed her three $20.00 bills and waited for the receipt, which the computer was not producing. She tilted her computer screen so the cashier next to her could see it and kept pointing at it without saying anything. A private conversation was going on that I was not privy to - like being at the doctor's and something goes wrong and the staff reads each others eyes for direction trying not to alarm the patient. But we all know in those moments, something is going on - something they're not telling me.
Finally, she looked at me with a confused but delighted expression, “Looks like you just got a complimentary $50.00 gift card.”
I felt my eyebrows lower and scrunch together forming a straight line above my eyes. They were toying with me and I wondered where the hidden camera was and who the people were that were watching me from another room, laughing and pointing.
“What? Is this some kind of promotional thing? Like, every 1,000th person gets a free gift card or something? Is it something random? Is it because I'm special? Do you think I'm a winner?"
“I don’t know anything about this, but look, it says right here”, she said pointing to the receipt and then handing me the gift card.”
I looked up inquisitively, smiled and hustled my behind out there before my luck ran out.
Thank you Universe! It’s a small gesture, but I guess it's proof you were listening.
Pretty
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