Spotted tonight at Walgreen's (the most wonderfullest place in the whole wide world!!!)
In the throes of a 48hour bug, I sought the comfort of a new humidifier, but didn't feel well enough to shop for it until about 11 this evening. Composing myself and disguising the shambles that I've become, I headed toward Walgreen's. Fun Fact: Walgreen's has been the most dependable thing in my life in the last 7 to 9 years. Dwell on the sadness of that for a moment, and then realize that I have come to depend upon Walgreen's more than almost any other relationship. Somehow no matter what I'm shopping for, I've found it at Walgreen's, seen it on the shelf, or just known that they would have it, but this is not the focus of this entry, SHE is.
She will remain nameless, mostly because I would much rather pin my expectations, judgment and bias on my impression of her, than know her name. Join me in judgement won't you?
So it's 11 o'clock on a Wednesday night, no one is out because the wind is making a serious issue out of it. But here I am, disoriented, congested, and bleary comparing overpriced humidifiers on aisle 9 at Walgreen's when SHE steps out of my periphreal and into this blog.
She was a not ugly white woman, that I would peg somewhere near her dirty 30s(that special time in a woman's life when she says "fuck it" to the plans she had as a young girl, and wildly gets her fuck, drink, and party on) but someoone had saved her from herself. I could see her washing off the scent of her dirty 30s with every step she took. But no matter what, you can't help but be who you are right? Even if you are wearing a wedding dress and veil. Let me repeat that, a wedding dress, a veil, a pair of ballet slippers and a denim jacket that wasn't going to stop the wind outside or the advance of her past on the current proceedings. I immediately thought to myself, how strange that a bride would look so much like a wife.
As brides go, she had none of that hope, none of that careless self centered unease. Her uneasyness was entirely based upon experience and not expectation, you could tell by the way she looked at the sleep aids on the shelves. I swear I tried not to judge, tried not to linger too long on her visage, but I was struck.
My humidifier under my arm, I headed toward checkout and chided myself for being the snobbish asshole we all know me to be, and then there she was again, taking forever to check out. As the cashier rang up two huge bags of scented votive candles, the Bride produced the largest zippered bag of prescription pharmaceuticals I have ever seen. I could easily count 2o different amber bottles packed tight head to foot, foot to head. Who carries that many drugs with them at any given time? Why was she having such a hard time checking out? Why did I get the feeling that she had not just come from her bacheleorette party, but that this was her wedding night?
From what I'm told brides make for uneasy bedfellows, so do wives, but for far different reasons. Here is to the Bride of Walgreen's and her large bag of drugs, I hope you have a safe middle passage.
