Wash Day

The picture on the bottom shows one of the economy brands of laundry detergent that I use. The price is reasonable and my clothes come out clean and fresh-smelling. The laundry detergents on the top  left are the more popular brands. They cost lots more. A woman tells me that in her store, the more expensive brands on the left have to be locked behind a plastic guard that emits a noise when the guard is lifted because people steal.

 "Steal laundry detergent?" I ask. 

She replies, "There's a laundromat around the corner. Some customers  come in here with plastic cups, unscrew the detergent bottle tops, and pour detergent into the cups. Then they walk out with the cups in their pockets, return to the laundromat, and use the stolen detergent to wash their clothes. That's why we have to lock these brands up."

WHAT?! First it was allergy medicines, then some cough medicines, them some others, but now some stores have to lock up laundry detergent?

I guess there's more than one way to look at it. Some people may not be able to afford to pay for the use of the laundromat's washers and dryers and also the laundry detergent.

However, it's not right to steal from one business so you can use the services of another. 

Peace be,

Sylvia

www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Chicken Wings, Not Turkey Tails

 I'm in an interesting people cycle. My latest unusual people experience involved chicken wings.
It's best to get to the popular food stop at the local Farmers' Market early, because the favorite foods sell out fast. I know the routine now, so I get a number card off a nail on a pole. People walk back and forth checking out the fried, baked/ barbecue chicken, turkey tails, ribs, and other foods.
A server calls my number and I order a pound each of baked chicken wings and fried chicken wings. The wings are in a pan next to the empty turkey tails pan. The server puts my order in two containers (shown above). All of a sudden, a man wails,"Aw, no! That gal just bought all the turkey tails!" He looks like he's about to cry. His female companion tries to console him. I want to say, "These are chicken wings, not turkey tails," but he's so upset that I take my wings and start to move along. The server tells him more turkey tails will be cooked by 5 p.m. He puts his number card back on the nail and says to his companion "Let's go. I really wanted those turkey tails." Wow...
Sylvia @ www.sylviabrownroberts.com

It Doesn't Hurt to Speak

I was raised to speak to people when they speak to me. A simple "Hello" or a nod to acknowledge a fellow human is courteous behavior.
On my way into a waiting room this week, I quickly noticed two women on my right. One of them was interacting with a computer. Another was reading a book. To my left were three men.  I walked to the left, said a soft "Hello." The older-looking man directly in my eyesight jerked his head. He looked up from his cell phone and frowned at  me with an expression of Why are you speaking? I don't know you! (He kept this sour face the whole time he waited.) The other two men nodded  "Hello." Very polite. I sat in the chair next to the older man and busied myself with my reading material. When I got hungry, I opened a pack of breakfast crackers, bowed my head and  prayed silently, and ate my crackers. I noticed the man across from me had sandals on his bare feet(in February). That made me smile because it reminded me of the young people on our college campus back in the day. Some of them wore sandals all year long, no matter what the weather. They often called themselves hippies. They were mellow and hung out with all kinds of people of all skin tones. The other man was scrolling on his cell. I got the sense he wanted to chat, but didn't want to offend me in any way.
After awhile, the technician entered the room and let the older guy know his car was ready. That older dude came to life, all chuckles and conversation! He left the room with the technician. I shook my head and smiled. The other two men noticed and smiled, too.
In a few minutes, the man wearing the sandals commented about how he had to get work done on his car because his wife needs it for work. We chatted about that. When it was time for him to leave, he thanked me for encouraging him. Then I had a car conversation with the remaining man. He explained some car features to me, like the "ECO" light in my car. We reminisced about the days when we changed our engine oil ourselves instead of taking our cars to the dealership. My car was ready before his. We both thanked each other for the pleasant and informative conversation.
I'll probably never see either of them again, but at least the three of us strangers shared positive human interaction. That's a good thing.
Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts.com