STARTLING

I stopped in Krogers grocery store on the way to the office this morning to buy some navel oranges.  The self-service isles were closed so I went to the only check-out lane in operation and got behind a 50ish guy.  A lady had just finished with a large order.  This man, who seemed very friendly, was buying only two cans a cat food and a box of donuts.  I was sure this would go quickly.  The clerk rang-up the items and his total bill was $2.03.  He was paying with a credit/debit card.  The card was short.  It showed on the cash register that he was $1.83 short...only 20 cents was on the card.  He muttered a rhetorical question "It is June first, isn't it?"  After a silent moment, he asked the clerk to take off the donuts.  He did, and told the man he still owed 75 cents.  Out came an old-fashioned change purse and, thank Goodness, he had enough change.  He took his cat food and left. 

I was so startled by it all, I didn't know what to think.  My first thought was that I should have bought him the donuts...then, no, it might have embarrassed him.  When I went over it in my mind on the way out of the store, my thought was,"I hope he has a cat."  Tough times we live in - for some people.

:(