What I Learned Buying Broccoli

Sometimes you learn life's lessons in the most unexpected places.  Yesterday, for me, it was in the express lane at the grocery store.  I had three items in my basket, the express lane had half a dozen people lined up, but the other check outs were dealing with buggy loads so I joined the express. There was an older man in front of me with a container of yogurt and a young fella in front of him.  As the young guy started unloading his basket it was clear he was over the posted limit of 1 - 8 items. I'd been having one of those days -- run here, run there, run back -- so I was enjoying slowing down, vegging out and contemplating the differences in the pregnancy fashion styles of Kim Kardashian and Kate Middleton.

Clearly, the old guy had no similar interest.  He seemingly didn't even care if Kim was going to be able to shed the pregnancy weight.  What he did care about was the flagrant violation of the express lane limits and I zoned back in just as he was pointing to the sign and berating the young guy for defying this rule.  I looked at the  old guy and thought, 'Hmmm...must be some damn good yogurt that he's anxious to get home and eat.'  The young fella looked extremely uncomfortable and after trying to brush off the older guy's concerns, explained that he had been in another check out and had been told to go to the express.

I wanted him to look my way so I could give him a shrug and a 'don't sweat it, been there, done that' smile, but he was fixated on getting his illegal number of items bagged and getting out of that store. After he left the cashier explained to the older guy that sometimes that happens -- a customer is sent to express when no one is there and then it gets busy.  Obviously unappeased, he grunted, took his yogurt and left.  I chatted a bit with the cashier then strolled out with my bag into the sunshine.

The lessons here? Nothing new, but sometimes a little reminder is in order....

While the old guy jumped the gun and judged the young guy to be an inconsiderate rule breaker, I was judging the old guy as just plain miserable.  Maybe he was, or maybe he just had a strong need to satisfy his yogurt addiction.  Who knows?  So...judge not.

Unless it's a matter of life or death (and few things are), be flexible and bend the rules on occasion. Life is more fun when you colour outside the lines.  So...relax.

It took less than a minute for the cashier to ring through the extra six items.  That minutes wasn't going to make or break my day and if it was, then there was something seriously wrong with my priorities.  So...slow down, relax, breathe.

And just be.