Today someone renewed my faith in humanity.
On my way home from work I stopped at an outdoor market to pick up a couple of pumpkins. After perusing a few bins I chose two rather large pumpkins. No idea what they weighed - but they had the best shapes and came with handles. So I promptly picked them up (both at the same time) and began to waddle my way inside.
A random hipster looking guy next to me was also picking out pumpkins, but many more than my two. He managed to make it in line ahead of me and set his collection down on the floor. Panting, I set my left pumpkin on the ledge by the cash register and the other at my feet. It was only at this point that I realized, for a fleeting moment, I probably shouldn't be carrying these around. They're really heavy. The thought flitted in and out of my awareness and I continued to gaze at the beautiful fall squashes and apples, pomegranates and dried hydrangeas.
It was random hipster boys' turn at the cash register when he turned to me and said "you go ahead". I thanked him and tried to decline but he insisted and asked if I wanted some help with the giant pumpkin sitting at my feet. I accepted - most gratefully - and with a silent sigh of relief that I wasn't going to have to lift the damn thing again. At this point my thoughts briefly turned to logistics of getting them to the car. Then back again to the apples and bushels of squashes.
I paid the $8 for my two giant pumpkins with handles and struggled to put my wallet back in my bag and dig out the car keys at the same time. Pregnancy does nothing to enhance gracefulness or coordination. At this point Mr. Hipster offered to carry both of my pumpkins to the car!! Really? Do I look incapable, er super-pregnant? Well, truthfully...yes!
So Mr. Hipster and I walked to my car and he deposted both pumpkins in the back seat. I thanked him and wished him a good halloween and he was on his way.
Not a huge deal I know, but it's been so long since a random stranger did something nice for me that it took me by surprise. Spending two hours on I-205 South everyday and the remainder of the bulk of my workdays in a surburb for the past 1.5 years has eroded any feeling of connection I had with this wonderful place I've called home for the past 12 or 13 years. Today I got a little piece of it back.
On my way home from work I stopped at an outdoor market to pick up a couple of pumpkins. After perusing a few bins I chose two rather large pumpkins. No idea what they weighed - but they had the best shapes and came with handles. So I promptly picked them up (both at the same time) and began to waddle my way inside.
A random hipster looking guy next to me was also picking out pumpkins, but many more than my two. He managed to make it in line ahead of me and set his collection down on the floor. Panting, I set my left pumpkin on the ledge by the cash register and the other at my feet. It was only at this point that I realized, for a fleeting moment, I probably shouldn't be carrying these around. They're really heavy. The thought flitted in and out of my awareness and I continued to gaze at the beautiful fall squashes and apples, pomegranates and dried hydrangeas.
It was random hipster boys' turn at the cash register when he turned to me and said "you go ahead". I thanked him and tried to decline but he insisted and asked if I wanted some help with the giant pumpkin sitting at my feet. I accepted - most gratefully - and with a silent sigh of relief that I wasn't going to have to lift the damn thing again. At this point my thoughts briefly turned to logistics of getting them to the car. Then back again to the apples and bushels of squashes.
I paid the $8 for my two giant pumpkins with handles and struggled to put my wallet back in my bag and dig out the car keys at the same time. Pregnancy does nothing to enhance gracefulness or coordination. At this point Mr. Hipster offered to carry both of my pumpkins to the car!! Really? Do I look incapable, er super-pregnant? Well, truthfully...yes!
So Mr. Hipster and I walked to my car and he deposted both pumpkins in the back seat. I thanked him and wished him a good halloween and he was on his way.
Not a huge deal I know, but it's been so long since a random stranger did something nice for me that it took me by surprise. Spending two hours on I-205 South everyday and the remainder of the bulk of my workdays in a surburb for the past 1.5 years has eroded any feeling of connection I had with this wonderful place I've called home for the past 12 or 13 years. Today I got a little piece of it back.
