I walked to the grocery store today; it seemed such a treat to be out and about and on my feet. Compared to last week, the temperatures were positively summery — high thirties! Since the snow that’s been hanging around for the past couple of weeks is beginning to melt, I wore my thick-soled hiking shoes and used my hiking poles to help me step over puddles, around slush, and across ice. I had been getting a bit of cabin fever — I didn’t want to walk or do much of anything outside when it was so slippery — but yesterday I ended up going out to spend the day with friends. (Although I planned to walk to the get together, one friend picked me up and another dropped me off so I got there and back all in one piece.) It was lovely — delicious meal, good company, pleasant conversation. Even better, I wasn’t the only “stray” there. (When I am the only uncoupled person in a group, it makes it difficult to fit in, not so much because of me, but because couples so often prefer to talk to each other or to other couples. But that wasn’t the case yesterday.)
So, even though I didn’t have cabin fever today, I still went out and walked . . . just to walk. Well, mostly. I did pick my way to the grocery store to purchase a few items. I don’t like having a lot of one-dollar bills in change, so for a total of $16.17, I gave the clerk $26.17. Confused the heck out of the poor girl. After staring at the money for a few seconds, she said, “You gave me too much. It’s only $16.17.” I asked her how much I’d given her, and she said, ‘$26.17.” I said, “Yes, that’s what I wanted to give you. Now put that amount as cash received.” She still looked confused, so I smiled and said, “Just do it. You’ll see. It’s magic.” Her eyes lit up when she saw the cash back she was supposed to give me — $10.00. “Oh, I get it!” she said.
To be honest, I don’t get it — how can they not make such simple calculations? Still, by this time, I’m used to their confusion. What’s most shocking nowadays is when a check-out clerk can actually see what I’m doing.
Oh, well. It is what it is. And anyway, that’s not what I came here to talk about. What I did want to say, I said at the beginning — I walked!
Although I am off work the next couple of days, I might not be able to take another walk. The highs will be in the fifties, so the street gutters will probably be flooded, making it impossible to get around on foot.
Still, one day at a time, right?
And this “one day” was very nice.
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Pat Bertram is the author of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One. “Grief: The Inside Story is perfect and that is not hyperbole! It is exactly what folk who are grieving need to read.” –Leesa Healy, RN, GDAS GDAT, Emotional/Mental Health Therapist & Educator.
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