Month: November 2014

Who’s on First, Anyhow?

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5cc08-christmastrolleyI thought I would share one of the crazy scenarios of my daily life that occurred yesterday.
I was in a department store of sorts. I say “of sorts,” because it was a TJ Maxx store. (I am not ashamed to be labeled a ‘Maxxanista.’) Anyhow, I was perusing the handbags, and a woman passed me in the aisle. We looked at each other and smiled.

Several minutes later, we met up again in the housewares/gourmet food section (surprise!) and the conversation that ensued I will try to reconstruct as close as my brain will allow. Bear in mind I can remember details of having my tonsils out when I was under two years old, so my long term memory is pretty good):

Her: “Do I know you?”
Me: “I don’t know. Do I know you?”
Her: “I think I do…..but where…..?”
Me:  “Me too you. Hmmm…..”
Her: “You think you know me?”
Me:  “Well, I wouldn’t go that far……I mean, not KNOW-know, just, you know…(laughing at the verbiage)”
Her:  “Yeah. Me too. I mean (laughs) I guess I know me. I should by now, being as old as I am!
Me:  “So we’re talking about you knowing you, then?”
Her:   “Well, I probably don’t really know YOU. I mean, you know. KNOW-know. But still…….”
Me:  “Who’s on first?”
Her:  “First? On what?”
Me:  “It’s an old Abbott and Costello bit…….”
Her:  (Looks very confused)
We both stand in awkward silence for 30 seconds)
Me:  “So, are you ready for Christmas?”
Her:  “I’m Jewish but we have a Christmas tree every year. I call it a large, pointy Channukah bush.”
Me:  “Oh, that’s funny. My ex-husband was Jewish and he always had a tree and presents hidden under the bed on Christmas morning as a child.”
Her:  “Where’s he from?”
Me:  “Brooklyn. Lived on Ocean Parkway.”
Her:  “I know Ocean Parkway. My father lived there as a kid. ”
Me:  “Maybe your father was my husband. (laughs)”
Her:  “Wow- now that’s something to think about……”
Me:  “No, no, no- I was just kidding, of course! (laughs) Because then you’d be my daughter, and I’m not that old, and we wouldn’t be wondering if we knew each other. Or if we knew ourselves.”
Her:  “Oh yes. That. I feel I do know you. Maybe I’ve just seen you around…..”
Me:  “Well, that’s a distinct possibility, because I get around (smiles).”
Her:  “You just look so familiar to me…..”
Me:  “I can also get familiar. In the right circumstances, of course.”
Her:  (Totally not “getting” my witty banter) “Maybe…… do you ever go to California?”
Me:  “Every summer. And used to live there. Do you think……..?”
Her:  “Yes. Yes. I’m sure that’s it. It was in Long Beach.”
Me:  “No, that’s not where I go. In fact I’ve only been there once, when I took a cruise to Mexico. That was in 2002.”
Her:  “Celebrity?”
Me:  “Me? Nooooooo……”
Her: (laughing) “I mean Celebrity Cruise line…”
Me:  “I knew that. (I didn’t) I was joking. Yes, Celebrity.”
Her: “No. That’s wrong.”
Me:  “No, that’s right. Celebrity.”
Her:  “I mean that’s not where I saw you. It was more recently. Are you sure you don’t go to the Long Beach area?”
Me:  “I kind of know that about myself. I mean, you know, as far as I know me. Which is pretty well.”
Her: (sigh) “This is driving me crazy.”
Me:  “It’s probably that we’ve just seen each other around town. Do you live here?”
Her:  “No. (offering nothing further)”
Me:  “Where do you live?”
Her:  “Me? (duh) I live in Scottsdale.”
Me:  “Um. I thought you said you don’t live in Scottsdale….just now….?”
Her:  “Oh! (laughing) Of course…”
Me:  “‘Cause I doubt you live in this store….”
Her:  “I have it. It was last year at this time at the Friedman’s holiday party in Paradise Valley!”
Me:  “What was?”
Her:  “That’s where I met you!!! You were with………”
Me: (interrupting) “No. I don’t know them and I wasn’t at their party.”
Her:  “Are you sure? Because I’m almost positive that’s where..”
Me:  “I make it a policy to never drink so much that I forget where I am. Or where I’ve been.”
Her:  “Dammit. That was a great party, by the way. You would love Dodie.”
Me:  “Dodie?”
Her:  “Friedman.  She is so like you! Very witty and lots of fun. And I have a feeling you’re a fun gal.”
Me:  “I’m nothing if not fun. Personified. (laughs)”
Her:  “They’re on a cruise this year, but when they come back, we have to get together. I mean, you and Dodie and me. Lunch, or something.”
Me:  “Well, I love meeting new people. Sure, let’s do that.”
We exchange names/numbers.
Me:  “Well, nice talking to you. I have to run…”
Her: “Me too. Can I give you a hug?”
Me:  “I’m a hugger, and ’tis the season, so, sure.”
(Hugs)
We head off in opposite directions as she says:
“I’m so glad I ran into you again!”

“Again?” I thought.

Who’s on first?

(Reprint from another blog of mine from Dec. 2013)

The Circle Continues

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FLOWERS 112014

“In helping others, we shall help ourselves.For whatever good we give out completes the circle,and comes back to us.”  – Rumi, in ‘Essential Sufism‘

Everyone who knows me, knows I love to give: Hugs, smiles, laughs, a helping hand, an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on. It makes me happy, and by being happy, I can better make others happy. And the circle continues.

This is a (true) short tale about being in tune with your spirit, open, and allowing yourself to truly connect with, and therefore follow your spirit (gut, intuition) and not remain in your head (thoughts, ego).

I have been feeling like a head cold is trying to catch me all day today. So much so that I took a Benadryl – which I never do, except at night. It made me so tired, I thought I would try to lie down for awhile this afternoon, although napping, for me, is an impossibility. I only lay down for five minutes when something told me to go out and complete a couple errands, all of which could have waited.

I went out and stopped at Safeway to pick up a couple of things and heard this sweet voice behind me as I was leaving, saying in her Indian accent, “Hello, my dear……how are you?” I turned around and it was this (east) Indian lady who works there that I’ve seen off and on for years. She is older than I am (ancient), and has the most beautiful spirit that just shines as bright as the diamond stud in the side of her nostril. She helps collect carts, bag items, and carry out groceries, (which I let her “assist” with – pushing my cart, at her request, so we can talk occasionally). I once saw her walking home at least a mile from the store and felt even more impressed with her gentle spirit, always a smile, always a good word.

I said, “How are you? I haven’t seen you for so long!” impulsively hugging her, something we have never done. She hugged me tightly back, smiling. I spurted out, “You look so beautiful!” which I meant, but it made her smile twice as big and she gave me another hug, thanking me, wishing me a happy Thanksgiving, as I did her.

I then went Trader Joe’s, my home away from home, and as I was going in, I looked at all of the beautiful fall flowers, thinking of buying some, but deciding not to. There was a young guy there buying roses, and he asked me which color I preferred. I said, “Well, my ex-husband, many, many years ago used to buy me my favorites- ‘Oldtimers’- which were orange, so of course I’d go for the orange ones.” He said he was thinking maybe those too, that the red are too ordinary, and his wife was anything but. (All together now: “awww…”)

I said, “What a lucky lady! I can’t even remember the last time a man bought me flowers! Happy Thanksgiving to you both!” He thanked me and wished me the same.

He had just checked out and I was in the same line he had been in, 2 people behind. He smiled and waved as he left the store. When I got up to the cashier and paid for my five items, the girl said, “These are for you.” and handed me a bunch of the flowers (pictured)- orange, of course.” I said, “For me? From Trader Joe himself?” laughing. She said, “No- a man who just left bought them for you and told me to tell you that ‘you deserve them too,’ and you’d know what he meant.”

Made me a little misty that I never found a man like that myself, but the bigger emotion was marveling at how you truly do get back what you give out, always, in all ways.   Something easy, give a kind word, a gesture to others, and they come back to you 100 times over. Love will always beget love.