RE: O/T: It's What You Scatter

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

>I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes... I noticed a
>small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily
>apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

From a time when kids had respect, manners, self-respect, and knew wrong
from right... Jump forward to my grocery shopping experience last week. I
boy of about 9-10 years of age was hanging around the self-serve bakery case
that was full of muffins, donuts, rolls, and other goods that were baked in
the store. The kid picked up, bare handed, many of the baked goods and
smelled them... when he licked the frosting on a donut and then put it back
in the case that went way over the line in my book. I informed the bakery
counter clerk of what I had just seen and she went over to him and said
she'd give him a cookie but that he had to stop handling the goods in the
case. He declined, selected one donut (not the one he licked) put it in a
bag and disappeared. The clerk then walked back to the counter... leaving
all the handled and licked items in the case.

A short time later I saw the kid back in the bakery department... the bag
was no where to be seen. Unassisted he was taking cookies out of a jar, that
was technically behind the counter, from which the clerks would give cookies
to children. It was clear that this kid had been there before and knew all
too well that he would be given a cookie if he asked. If a parent was in the
store and confronted with the situation I can hear them denying that their
son would ever do anything like that... the kid had to learn those behaviors
somewhere!

Me... I'll NEVER buy baked goods from those cases again except from the top
racks that the kids cannot reach...

On Sun, 2 Jun 2013 10:32:18 -0400, "John Grossbohlin"
>too well that he would be given a cookie if he asked. If a parent was in the
>store and confronted with the situation I can hear them denying that their
>son would ever do anything like that... the kid had to learn those behaviors
>somewhere!

You're right. And, it's an action that seems to be prevailing more and
more.

Recently, I was at the meat department in a local store. There was a
woman in front of me looking at the meat. There were some two dozen
packages of rib steaks. I watch as she handled *EVERY* package and
then started to leave without taking one.

Naturally, I've got a big mouth so I said to her "you just had to
handle every package didn't you?". She looked at me in a shocked
manner. Then when about twenty feet further away, she turned to look
at me again with a really angry look on her face.

It's an attitude of entitlement that our society has. ~ apparently,
it's not just something solely attributed to our politicians, it's
society wide.

Lew Hodgett wrote:
> Since it has been a slow day.
>
> Enjoy
>
> Lew
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes... I
> noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean,
> hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.
>
> I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh
> green peas.
>
> I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.
>
> Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation
> between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.
>
> 'Hello Barry, how are you today?'
>
> 'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure
> look good'
>
> 'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'
>
> 'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'
>
> 'Good. Anything I can help you with?'
>
> 'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.'
>
> 'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr. Miller.
>
> 'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'
>
> 'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'
>
> 'All I got's my prize marble here.'
>
> 'Is that right? Let me see it', said Miller.
>
> 'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.'
>
> 'I can see that. Hmm mmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of
> go for red.
>
> Do you have a red one like this at home?'
> the store owner asked.
>
> 'Not zackley but almost.'
>
> 'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip
> this way let me look at that red marble', Mr. Miller told the boy.
>
> 'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'
>
> Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.
>
> With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our
> community, all three are in very poor circumstances.
>
> Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or
> whatever.
>
> When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he
> decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a
> bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on
> their next trip to the store.'
>
> I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man.
>
> A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story
> of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.
>
> Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one.
>
> Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho
> community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.
>
> They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends
> wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.
>
> Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives
> of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.
>
> Ahead of us in line were three young men.
>
> One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark
> suits and white shirts...all very professional looking.
>
> They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her
> husband's casket.
>
> Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke
> briefly with her and moved on to the casket.
>
> Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one; each young man
> stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand
> in the casket.
>
> Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.
>
> Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded
> her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me
> about her husband's bartering for marbles.
>
> With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.
>
> 'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about.
>
> They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them.
>
> Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or
> size....they came to pay their debt.'
>
> 'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she
> confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man
> in Idaho ...'
>
> With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased
> husband.
>
> Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
>
> The Moral:
> We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds.
>
> Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that
> take our breath.
>
> Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~
>
> A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself...
>
> An unexpected phone call from an old friend....
>
> Green traffic lights when you drive....
>
> The fastest line at the grocery store....
>
> Your keys found right where you left them.
>
> Send this to the people you'll never forget.
>
> I just did...
>
> If you don't send it to anyone, it means you are in way too much of a
> hurry to even notice the ordinary miracles when they occur.
>
> IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF
> LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED!
>
>
A very weird story. Why didn't they just use their Peach Card, and
maybe add a 6-pack to it too?

--
 GW Ross 

 You're not really drunk if you can 
 lie on the floor without hanging on.