Yesterday I was feeling quite virtuous after doing 8 laps around the running track at the local high school. I was moving rather briskly back home because I was looking forward to squeezing in a refreshing shower before settling down in front of the TV to watch Jennifer Aniston on Live with Regis and Kelly. (Hey! It was my day off! I'm entitled to watch junk TV if I want to!)
As I approached my building, I saw one of my neighbors, Mr. B. He's sweet and elderly, and has some of the more unfortunate traits that can beset the elderly. For example, he's always trying to get me to buy Avon products from him. At first I thought this was cute. Not any more. He always gets the orders wrong and sometimes forgets to send them in at all. Last time he handed me a multi-page printout from Avon and asked me to go through it to see if I could figure out what I received and what of mine was backordered. As respectfully as possible, I declined. I've been trying to be supportive because I thought, "hey, old guy on a fixed income, trying to get by." I could be in the same boat someday, right?
Turns out Mr. B. not only owns his condo unit outright, he also owns the one next door and is renting it out at a nice profit. I hope I can afford to be in that same cushy boat someday!
Now that I know this, my patience with Mr. B. is waning. I just didn't feel like standing there, all sweaty, hearing him say that he needs me to "order, order, order," and that he is always looking out for his best customers, like me. So I ... um ... turned on my heel and walked in the other direction. Two blocks out of my way. Hoping to avoid eye contact and conversation with him.
I was successful. But I feel so childish! Will I never grow up?
