Proud fools and Republican men: stubborn is as stubborn does, I suppose

This morning I made plans to go to the market and do some shopping.  For the last several weeks I’d only been picking up 1-2 items at a time, and was surprised how bare my cupboards had gotten, along with an empty freezer. 

As I sat on my couch tying my shoes, I watched the news.  There’s going to be a pause on the Johnson & Johnson One Dose vaccine because of six cases of blood clotting (out of 8 million).  A miniscule number, but this would not bode well for the 49% of Republican men refusing to get vaccinated.  This was the last thing they needed to hear.

I shook my head in disbelief.  Butt-brains!  They could infect each other with covid-19 for all I cared.  I know, I know… not nice. 

So I turned off my TV, grabbed my mask and headed to the store, wondering why these men were being so stubborn.  I’ve had to restrain myself from yelling at my TV every time Joe Biden has gotten on there, pleading with us to get vaccinated.  Joe I’m trying!  It’s been reported that people like myself who had the virus and recovered, develop a natural immunity that lasts around six months.  Still, doctors claim they only need one dose of the 2 dose vaccines.  I got sick last July, took me 2 months to fully recover and cannot imagine going thru that again.

So the next thing I know, I am at the store and bagging my groceries when the checker turns to me and says “Your total comes to $113.70.”  I looked down at the spray of items still unbagged and said “Uh-Oh.”  She asked “What’s wrong?  Did you forget your wallet?”   

No, that wasn’t it.  I had come to Kuhn’s with a list of exactly what I needed, what I knew I could safely manage to carry home.  But today… I can’t explain it.  Something came over me and I loaded up that shopping cart with a month’s worth of food.  I even made sure to eat before I went, I know the rule about shopping on an empty stomach.

I said “No, it’s more like I forgot my car.  I don’t see how I’m going to carry this many bags home.”    

Suddenly, a woman appeared behind my right shoulder (on her way out the doors) and said “Did you forget where you parked your car hon?”  She looked between 65 and 70, and was holding one bag of her own.  I said “No, no—I sold my car last year but forgot I can only carry so much.  I’m fine.”  

She said “Well I’m parked right outside.  Let’s load up this cart with your bags and wheel it to my car.  My daughter brung me, but she won’t mind.”   I said “Omigosh, that’s very kind of you but no thanks, I’m good.”

(I don’t know why I automatically said that, I must’ve had 10-11 bags here.)

She didn’t give up easily though and asked “How far do you live from here?”  I said “Oh, I’m just up the street and down a few blocks, California Avenue.”  She said “Where on California?”  I told her right past the Methodist church.  She said “The Tiffany.”  I nodded my head and turned to my checker, said I was paying with my debit card.  The woman beside me said “Oh sure, my sister Betty lives there!  She’s in 316, which one are you?”   I told her 402. 

Dammit, why did I just tell her that?

She said “My daughter Stacey is over at the office buying bus tickets.  That’s the only thing she came in for, so we have room for your bags.”  I said “Ma’am, thanks again but I’ll be fine.”  I asked my checker if she’d help load up my arms with bags and this other woman stood there and said “That doesn’t look very smart.  If you don’t want my help then why don’t you use your Senior Pass and make a couple trips on the bus?  Kuhns will watch your stuff.” 

I told her I didn’t have a senior pass.  She said “You sound like my late husband, he didn’t go for all the senior perks either.  He was stubborn too.” 

I wanted to tell her I wasn’t old enough yet for a senior pass (and was a little miffed she thought I was) but I just shrugged my shoulders while the checker weighed down my second arm with bags.  

I got out of Kuhn’s parking lot (it’s slanted and a steep uphill climb) and braced myself against an electric pole to pant like a dog for a couple minutes.  Just a couple feet away, a big PAT bus hissed to a stop and I watched a couple older folks climb on. 

I’m not stubborn!  When I’m their age I’ll get a Senior Pass!

As I huffed down California Avenue, hands burning, fingers aching, chest thumping and suckiing in a lot of air, I noticed a car right behind me cruising very slow.  When I got to the next electric pole, I wearily drooped my arms and rested against it.  The car behind me slowed to a stop, and the driver’s window rolled down.  A very attractive young woman, looking around 30 or so, stuck her head out and asked if I was alright.  I smiled and said I was fine, thanks for asking.  She asked “Do you have far to go?”   I blushed and said only another block.

She leaned far back in her seat then, and another face neared the open window.  The woman from the store!  She said “I TOLD YOU this was too much for one trip!  We’re going to follow you until you get to the Tiffany!”

My God!  I’m sure her daughter had better things to do than follow some older man home… it just kills me how stubborn some people like her mother can be!

Anyway, just wanted to get this off my chest—along with about a month’s worth of groceries.