Passing the Past

Today, I was in my home town and passed a building that used to be a convenience store. When I was living a few blocks away, I would stop at the store often and the same woman was usually there every evening.

The woman, who I thought was probably fifteen years older than I was, usually worked the evening shift. She had a young teenage daughter that would sometimes be in the store during her shift. From the short conversations we had, I gathered she was single mom with the usual worries about raising her daughter. Her daughter was at that age where the lack of supervision could end with a ruined life.

Over time I moved and stopped going to the store. Years later, I was watching a show about crime. It was a stark show that had a segment where the news crew reached the crime scene before the police secured the area. A part of the segment showed a woman sitting on the floor with a bullet wound in her forehead. She was alive, coherent, but obviously in distress. I suddenly realized it was that clerk. I, also, remembered reading about the robbery when it happened. The report had given a name, which I never knew, and a later report stated she died. I never put the pieces together. I didn't know who had died.

I've wondered what happened to her daughter; whether she had family, or ended up in foster care. I, also, wondered about whether she moved on, or was forever scarred and would never have any semblance of a normal life.

Evil stalks us every day. We don't notice it, or ever really feel the consequences, until it destroys someone we know or love. It's a harsh reality that's a punk robber with a gun, or a government without conscience that destroys all detractors in the cruelest methods imaginable. It will never be completely eliminated, but it can be isolated. This requires a society that condemns evil and handles those that stray to evil without hesitation. If not, there's only anarchy and the unbridled power of those without compassion.

Cause and effect

Some mornings, I'll stop at a local doughnut shop in a shopping center for coffee. It's built in front of the main center, so there is only a narrow drive in front. It's invariably blocked in the morning by "I'll only be a minute" people. There's literally acres of parking, but these fine folks block the access drive so they don't have to walk a few dozen feet.

I'm guessing these patrons want to speed their heart attack by refusing to exercise and eating fried bread. It that's their plan, I have to admire their effort. Judging from the sizes of some of these patrons, I can almost guarantee their success within ten years.

Rite of Passage

This afternoon, I stopped at a hardware store to pick up a measuring tape. After I made my purchase, I scanned my receipt and found: Senior Discount 10%. I paused for a moment to think about this discount, while I fought a compelling urge to dig in my ear with my truck key. I didn't ask for it, and the clerk looked older than I am. For some reason, corrupted words to a Harry Chapin's  "Taxi" popped into my mind:

"Another man might have been angry
And another man might have been hurt
But, another man wouldn't have gotten so old
I stashed the receipt in my shirt."

A few minutes later, as I drove by a local university, I looked at the young folks and thought how most of their lives are ahead. I wondered what words of wisdom I could impart to these young minds that would make their futures bright and full of hope. As I glanced in my passenger rear view mirror, all I could think of was "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" That will have to be enough. After all, I'm now an official "old geezer". Do I get a certificate?

Hamfisted Moderating

I don't know why it's called moderating. There is no moderating on my part. I tried to edit one of my own comments, which deleted the post and placed the message: This post has been removed by a blog administrator, which is not what I wanted to do. I just wanted to see if I could edit the comment, maybe add a silly picture, or place some stern warning that detractors, including me, are not to test my patience. Instead, the post was forever sent to electron hell, vaporized and will be lost forever.

I had another option, which was to delete the post. If moderating is complete annihilation, what happens if I click "delete"? I guess I could try it, but if you find yourself in a parallel universe, don't blame me. I'm the moderator and you never want to piss me off with your petty whining.

Some Advice

This is some advice for those that use the drive-through window:

1. Don't waste my time.
2. They can't see you very well, if at all, so hand gestures are useless, although amusing to watch.
3. The reason they have the numbered menu is because that's really what they want you to buy. Give them a number and the only real decision on your part is to decide what flavor soft drink.
4. If there is more than one order, you are forbidden to use the drive-through. I know that's not a written rule; it's my rule. Go inside and read rule no. 1.
5. Be aware of how much money you have on your person. Digging through the console, your pockets, the seats, your purse, your wallet, the visor, your passenger's pockets and their wallets should happen before you reach the window.
6. Don't special order anything. I don't care that you don't like tomatos, or pickles and prefer mustard. That's why you go inside. See the first rule.
7. Don't order 20 items. That means you slow the entire process and will eventually wait in your car. They have a special spot in the parking lot. You sit there until some pissed off clerk brings your food, which is soggy, old and probably tastes like crap. The drinks are so watered down, it takes a chemist to decide if they're cola or tea.
8. I know you have a car full of children. That's why they invented peanut butter and jelly. You can carry that in your vehicle, disburse the product as necessary and avoid violating the first rule. Stop at a convenience store for milk and plastic cups. Have a lactose intolerant child? Bottled water is the right choice.

All in all, if your time in the drive-through violates the first rule,  you're not only wasting my time, you're wasting the time of another. They probably, too, only have 30 minutes for lunch. I'm sure they despise you as much as I do.

-I know someone will comment about peanut allergies. My rule is to never allow anyone with a peanut allergy in your car, unless you carry an epi pen. Even then, I don't recommend it. Let them carry their own epi pen and, if they use it, never allow them in you car again.