And then I get in line behind the old bag at the checkout,

[Redstone]

and I grouse and bitch mentally about how she has sixteen coupons (half of them past their expiration date), and pays for her purchases with an excruciating series of quarters and nickels produced from her handbag....

Then I consider that this is probably someone's grandmother, and reflect upon how much it really matters if I get out of the store six minutes faster, in the grand scheme of things...

Redstone

[KitchenWitch]

1. Very true!

Thank you for that.

[yvr girl]

2. Just use that time to read trashy tabloids

Rather entertaining - but not worth actually buying.

Good to see you posting.

:hi:

[Redstone]

6. Especially "Weekly World News." They're utterly shameless.

I've been granted a reprieve tonight and am taking advantage thereof, though it probably will not last long. But I've not forgotten you, m'dear, and am not likely to. Keep flying!

Redstone

[LynzM]

21. Did you see today's?

To the effect of Bush turning a wing of the White House into a prison, so that Rove and Co. could continue to work while serving prison time! :rofl:

:hi: dude!

[Nevernose]

3. Old people shouldn't be let out of the nursing home...

...if they don't know how to behave in polite society!

(This was, if not clear already, a reference to the earlier "I hate children" thread)

[Redstone]

10. I gotcha.

Redstone

[uppityperson]

4. Old people have no manners these days

as bad as them little kids

[SeattleGirl]

5. I learned that lesson a long time ago in a somewhat embarassing

way. It was while I was in highschool. A girlfriend and I were going somewhere in my car, and this man was ahead of us, driving reeeeeaaaaaaaallllllly sloooooooooly. I was getting really impatient, and said, "Damn it, come on grandpa, step on it!" Well, we finally go to a part in the road where it was 2 lanes each way. As I was passing, my friend looked over at the guy in the car, and discovered it was HER grandfather. I felt about 2 inches high....:blush:

[Redstone]

9. Ha! That's a lesson for all of us,

isn't it?

Redstone

[SeattleGirl]

15. Yes indeed.

Fortunately, my friend was very forgiving, as she admitted to feeling impatient herself, even though she wasn't verbalizing it as I was.

[Sugar Smack]

7. Just have patience-

It'll be OK. I've been stuck behind 12 grannies that have mistook their sweet videlias for other onions. They hung around, wanting to get down to the bottom of it. It's OK. I know it, cousin.

[Redstone]

17. Shoogie!

You owe me a PM or email to get me caught up with what's happening in your life, especially the good stuff...I'm bailing now, because I'm old and have to get to work early tomorrow, but you're not, so write to your old cuz, OK?

I understand there are good things going on with you and want to hear that joy coming through...

Redstone

[Gormy Cuss]

8. How true

I posted this earlier on a different thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2246239&mesg_id=2247022

Hello in there, hello.

[peekaloo]

11. That's my favorite JP song.

I've got a great mp3 of r.e.m. doing a beautiful cover version, too.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. Ah, my dear Redstone!

How lovely to see you tonight! And this is a great story, too.....

It brings to mind the adage that there but for the grace of God go I...

Or more likely, that one day we hope to live long enough to get to be slow like that as well......

It's a treat to hear your lucid and lovely thinking, as always.....


:loveya: :hug: :pals:

[BigMcLargehuge]

13. We may indeed be separated at birth Redstone

I get the same way. I tend to think, gee she's taking a hell of a long time to write that check... oops she forgot the coupons. Oh, check didn't go through... great.

Then...

You know, she was probably riveting together B17s back in the 40s. She probably raised a handful of kids on way less than I'll ever have to live on. She's probably been to more funerals than anyone would ever want to count. She's someone mom, and grandmom, and maybe great grandmom. She's seen more and done more in 80 years that I can even realistically capture in text.

Then...

I pay for her groceries and take them to her car. She gives me a check to cover the cost, and I take it because I don't want to insult her pride.

But I never cash it.

[tigereye]

20. aw

that's why you are so cool, big!

I always worry about those ladies not having enough money, etc. Whenever I see someone like that in the line, I always think, that could easily be me.

[greatauntoftriplets]

14. Hey!! That old bag was me!!!!

;)

[WCGreen]

16. Sweet thread... Dealing with an 85 year old MIL makes one

realize how short and sweet life is...

do not make it any harder for the older ones among us...

[Awsi Dooger]

18. That's one of the reasons I shop at 2 AM

I'm generally patient but for some reason I can't take those checkout waits. Every store here is 24 hours and at that hour I just have to fade one beggar in the parking lot. When I'm visiting my parents and they shop at "normal" times it literally takes me a week to adjust, agitatedly saying to myself, "why are there so many people here?"

I used to hate electric golf carts but that was a very poor handicap. Now I play golf regularly with a 77 year old who cracks me up with his blunt assessments. Plus he can't beat me, or out drive me. If it weren't for golf carts, forget it. He would would keel over on every hole which wouldn't leave time for 18 when it's not daylight savings time.

[Telly Savalas]

19. This reminds me of a time last winter when I was out jogging...

and I saw a guy laying on the street who'd just been hit by a car. This was in front of a busy restaurant/bar patio, so since there were more than enough people to help, my continued presence there would constitute nothing more than rubbernecking. So I kept on running. As I make it a few blocks down, there are people impatiently laying on their car horns because the incident caused traffic to back up (and obviously they were too far away to see what had happened.)

So I'm thinking: Jesus, that guy's on the ground groaning in agony and all these people can think about is how they've been held up by a few minutes. But at the same time, if I were in a hurry and in a shitty mood, I could very well have done the same were I in their shoes.

[hfojvt]

22. I was just in such a line

and the lady said "you only have a few items. Go on ahead of me." So I said 'hey, thanks.'

[rug]

23. Especially if the coupons are the difference between eating or not eating.