The Time

Waiting for the crosswalk light to turn, a brunette with wide brown eyes took a moment to ask, "Do you have the time?"

"The time! Yes I have the time! I have LOTS of time. I'd LOVE to tell you the time. Let me tell you the time. I LOVE time."

Now this isn't what i said, but it's a nearly perfect transcript of my thoughts. In actuality, I mustered, "The time! Yes. It is...8:26."

"Thank you," she replied, holding my eyes for an extra moment. She then turned and crossed the street.

Lagging slightly behind, I instantly became nostalgic for her question. I wanted to pull it through time, to stretch it into infinity. Or at least into the next logical question, "What's your Mother's maiden name?"


---


Standing in the Whole Foods' checkout line, the man behind me set down a bag of red potatoes, a fresh-cut fryer chicken, butter, and white rice.


Without thinking i exclaimed, "Wow, I like how simple that is!" pointing at his choices. "It's so straight forward. You know exactly what you're going to get."


"Hah. Yes. My girlfriend sent me to the store with a list," he followed. "It's hard to waiver when you have a list," he continued, sheepishly.


"No, I like it. It's simple."


Our conversation was interrupted by my groceries being scanned. I greeted the woman behind the cash register as she swiped my cheese, inquiring, "How spicy IS Mediterranean Jack?"


After some explanation, the girl bagging my groceries included, "This cheese reminds me of this store in my home town. They had a room dedicated entirely to cheese. Oh, I'm from Wisconsin. We LOVE cheese."


Paying while the cheese conversation naturally came to a close, I picked up my cloth reusable bags and thanked the two ladies for their time. The guy behind me kindly interjected, "Hey, have a goodnight."

He really meant it.