I'm a true believer that most of the encounters I have with other folks are lessons/messages from God or His "Universal Agents" as I like to call them. Today was proof that God be playin' tricks on me and laughing hard.
I often sit in Starbucks and partake in coffee and work on a project, it gives me a break from my house (where I'd be inclined to watch Lifetime Movies and chit chat on the phone) and it gives me a chance to observe "human-ness"(for lack of a better term) all around me.
Usually I can watch the craziness from afar like the man who sat in the corner shaking and saying the Jews are fuckin' with him, all the while sitting at a table with 2 Jewish men donning yarmulkes.
Usually the folks I meet/talk to in "bucks" are normal folks on the same mission - free internet and a space to do some work that isn't their homes. Today however, I had one of those "Ok, this is an interesting start to the week"moment.
Today, while sitting in Starbucks, enjoying my coffee and working on a site, an elderly white woman (she looked to be about 75 or so) asked if she could share the table I was sitting at. "Sure" I responded. She continues "I just want to do my scratch offs I won't need much room." I nodded and replied "it's cool." She was a bit chattier than most folks who sit with me but it was cool, she occasionally would look up and start chatting about how she'd just won $2 on one of the scratch offs and I would nod and smile and continue with my work.
About 30 minutes later, she states "Out of $20 I won $22! I think that's pretty good, don't you agree?" I smiled and replied "yep, you won your money back plus 2 extra bucks, pretty good." She continued to say that she's done with the scratch offs for today and that she told the man at the store "I better win!" To which he replied "yeah yeah..." Somehow the conversation shifted to health and breast cancer- she went on a diatribe about how when she was growing up she had 12 siblings and there was always food on the table. Her mother was a stay at home mom and that these moms today who are stay at home moms are lazy.. yadda yadda yadda...she would end each sentence with "don't you agree?" I'd just nod, I'm not about to get into an argument with an old woman, I got shit to do and fighting with the Golden Girl ain't one of 'em. She goes on and says "You know I always wonder why women get breast cancer so much now, it's gotta be something they are doing to the food. I agree and say "I'm sure the hormones and pesticides that are used on foods today have something to do with it" she says "yeah" and continues "and the men too" and she makes a pulling motion toward her breast and then makes a sucking sound... in my mind I'm like "Oh no she didn't" and she continues to go on, "those are for babies! not for them!" I just chuckle, but in my head I am losing my mind, did this woman just do and say that?! She gets up from the table and tells me that maybe the Jewish New Year will bring us all good luck, because we need it and she tells me to "keep the faith."
I've come to the conclusion that this week's message for me is:
1. Cook my own food this week: I had been wavering on whether to eat out or eat in tonight but I'ma cook and prepare most of my meals this week to 1. save money and 2. it's better for me health wise if I do.
2. Make an appointment for the doctor for my checkup – I'm a month overdue on the checkup tip.
and
3. Stop talking to old people this week: I usually find elderly folks really interesting and full of interesting tidbits of wisdom. But this week, I'm not really prepared for any more sucking noises and talks of men suckling breasts from a 70 something year old woman- I just can't do it...
Have a good week...
