Tell me your life story

I stood in line at Cafe Rio with a couple friends and patiently waited to place my order. Pork tostada with black beans and shredded lettuce please. The lady in front of me turned around and stared at me. "You can have shredded lettuce?" Yes, yes you can and I will. She then proceeded to tell me her life story. I won't go into too much detail even though she didn't spare any details while talking to me. "I'm working for my husband right now and checking his year end books. I walked out of the house with his slippers on and they are way too big."
It was my turn to tell them the order was to go. I'd like a side of fresca please.
"You can have fresca? Is it good?"
It's great. You should try it and it's free.
"Oh no, it can't be free."
I smiled and let her try to pay for a side of fresca.

This is what happened last week at the store while paying for groceries.
Cashier: "Did you find everything you needed?"
Me: "Yes, thank you."
C: "Ooh, today is a rough day. I just found out I'm pregnant and I'm scared to tell my boyfriend."
M: "Do you have a friend or a doctor you can talk to about this?"
C: "Yes, I do have a doctor and I think I'll make an appointment to see her and maybe she can help me. Thanks for the advice."
M: "Good luck. I hope everything works out for you and the baby."
I left the store hoping she would see a doctor and that she would be able to talk to a close friend or family member about the pregnancy. Being told personal stories by complete strangers is something that happens to me frequently, and I'm not complaining. I really enjoy talking to people and hearing about life experiences. Everyone has a story to tell and I think we all long to find someone who will listen. There are times I think about telling a stranger about my life because for some reason it doesn't seem as scary as talking to my friends and family. Crazy? Probably. But there's something about telling someone about your life and knowing that you will probably never see them again.
Enough about that. I'm on my way to the store to meet some new people.

I knew you were going to call

I was sitting at work when the phone rang. I was in the middle of a CBIA (Comprehensive Brain Injury Assessment) and I was in the zone. I glanced at the phone and did a double take. WHAT?! You were calling me? After not speaking to me for about 4 months you decide to pick up the phone and 'chat' about life? I wasn't upset that you called. It was a surprise and it threw me off. You see, I moved on and the phone call didn't help with the healing. We chatted about your trips around the world, my trip to Spanish Fork, books I've read-books you've listened to. And the conversation was a good one, but why did it happen in the first place? You were the one who ended things, not me. So I may have been a hard one to date, but I tried-a little. And I'm getting better all the time. I recognize where I went wrong and I really am working on trusting others and letting them into my life. Back to you, my long lost, uh, friend? I wanted to ask why you called. To renew our friendship? You decided to give me another chance at love? You were bored? You made a New Years Resolution and decided to start the year out with a bang? Well, I applaud your efforts. I refuse to analyze the phone call anymore than I just did. But I will have you know that I knew you were you going to call. I'm not sure why, but for some reason I just knew. I liked being with you. I liked who I was when we were together. You made me feel smart. Beautiful. My opinions mattered. But that just wasn't enough. So thank you for calling, but next time, I don't think I'll answer the phone.

Man Cold

This is my brother. My brother with a cold. It may appear that this is merely a picture of a pink blanket on the couch, but I give you my word that my brother is under the blanket. Soon after arriving at my parents house, my brother sat on the couch and announced, "I don't feel well." My first thought? "Oh great, here we go. He's probably faking so he gets to sleep all day while we wrangle the children. His wife gets sick and she still cooks, takes care of the children, and does the laundry. Clay gets sick and it's the end of the world."
Well, fast forward to the next day and I knew that my brother must really be sick because he wasn't eating, watching TV, playing games, or working on the studies of the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Low-k ILD Materials by X-Ray Reflectivity.
Tennille, wake up Clay so he can read this next part. Clay, I apologize for thinking that you were faking your illness. BUT, I'd like to share a video with you. May you never get sick again.