employee: i know! i go through it like nobody’s business.
me: this is my third tube. i’m obsessed. i use it all the time, not just at night.
employee: oh i know. it’s especially awesome in the winter here with all that wind and cold and stuff. they were out of it for a whole month because it’s so popular and we just couldn’t keep it in stock.
me: i’m not surprised. this stuff is genius.
she switched back into salesperson mode as she packed up my purchases and explained the survey on the bottom of the receipt. i was surprised at the formality of the rest of the conversation, but it sure was delightful having met someone else who shares my affinity for this chapstick.
[and consider this my plug for the night balm. it very well may change your life.]
as my drink was set in front of me, my phone whistled the arrival of a text which explained why my friend was running so late, well, later than usual — traffic.
waitress: oh, i thought that was my phone. i have the same tone.
me: a lot of people do. my little sister has it and she is constantly confused when our phones are in the same room.
waitress: have you ever seen the big bang theory?
me: no, but you’re about the fourth person this week to ask me that. should i be watching it?
waitress: oh, well, it’s great. i changed my ringtone to the guy’s voice so my phone would stand out.
me: that sounds like a smart idea. *wonders how that ringtone is the same as mine*
waitress: i’ll come back when your table fills out.
me: thanks.
as i sat there sipping my guinness and waiting for traffic to clear so my friend could join me, i pondered the possibility of individuality and the way we try to stand out whether it’s in what we wear, what our hobbies consist of or how our phones sound.
despite my ringtone imitating so many others, i was an individual that night. you see, the date was 2/14 and with my friend running late, my solo presence stood out.
i guess i’ll add “unintentional” to the list of ways one can be individualistic.
my brain was full of to do lists and errands to run and upcoming bills and author names and that cute boy who got his haircut before me and things to pack and get there faster and family members and trips and sicknesses and concerts and what to wear and which suitcase to use and rushing, rushing, rushing.
the glow from the girl’s phone illuminated not only her coat but the fact she was directly in my path.
both my brain and my body halted.
well, my brain did. there was too much momentum behind me to slow my body that fast. i shifted to the left. she shifted to her right. i moved to the right as she moved to the left. i went up on my tiptoes to avoid crashing into her as we yet again unintentionally blocked each other’s paths.
forced into a conversation, my brain solidified, which was much better than the meltdown it was just in.
her: SORRY!
me: SORRY!
laughing, we paused long enough to pick separate paths and continued on our ways. my brain resumed its frantic pace, as did my feet. i churned through errands until i found myself in the exact. same. situation. but this time, it was on two different sides of a door.
giving in first, i pulled away, as did the other girl.
ooookay.
i reached for the door at the same time as the other girl.
i paused. looked. focused.
it was me.
i was doing the “we’re trying to walk the same route” dance with my reflection.
laughing, i burst through the door and out of my muddled, mashed up thoughts.
p.s. i want to squeeze the noodles out of all of you who entered the contest on tuesday’s post! that said, there can only be two winners and they are: EMILY AND JULIE! (thank you, random.org) ladies, check your emails for details. :)
the weathermen were proven right and the city, the state, the region fell silent, quiet in the way only a heavy snowfall elicits, as we paused to take stock of what mother nature was capable of.
the loneliness piled up as high and fast as the snowflakes.
i checked on my (multiple) devices, charging those that needed it and braced for the power to go out when my phone flashed an incoming email at me. it was an amazon gift from a twitter friend, but i wasn’t expecting or anticipating it, so i flipped over to twitter to follow the trail of bread crumbs.
you see, wendy was holding a timely (and wicked generous) giveaway of her bookFROSTED and she had one more copy left.
enter: jessica lemmon (author of TEMPTING THE BILLIONAIRE) who saw wendy’s tweet and spoke up for my frosty behind. just like that, i was the proud new owner of an e-book, but way more importantly, my loneliness dissipated. the twitter community warmed me as if i was sitting in front of a fire on the hearth. all i needed now were s’mores.
when the snow stopped sometime late the next afternoon, i figured i’d end the indoor isolation by tackling this:
i hope i’m about to dig out the right car…
in the midst of what ended up being a two hour task, i was passed by 7 plow trucks, 10 cars (driving ban, what?) and countless people. a father, mother, son, and their dog stopped to chat.
father: you’re doing an excellent job.
me: oh, thank you! it’s certainly taking long enough.
mother: do you have a [town] parking sticker?
me: yup.
mother: you know you can park your car in one of two garages during a snow emergency, don’t you? then you wouldn’t have to do this!
me: oh, yes, i sort of knew that, but hey, this is good exercise, right?
father: indeed. keep up the good work.
i did have more work in front of me, but with the sense of community warming my veins, the shovel felt lighter and less burdensome.
it was the right car!
and now, to keep the good times rolling, i’m going to pay it forward. since i can’t offer to shovel your sidewalks, i’m going to give away a digital copy of wendy’s FROSTED and jessica’s TEMPTING THE BILLIONAIRE to two lucky people who comment below. that’s it. there are no other rules. go forth and join my community by commenting!
the winners will be announced on friday february 15th. stay tuned.
at the time i’m writing this, the name nemo reminds me of this:
rather than this:
but by the time the day/storm is over that association may very well change.
in other weather news, this video is a lot like my reaction a few years ago when i was walking home from work in the middle of the blizzard and thunder cracked through the sky and my heart.
although, come to think of it, my response might have been a more of AAHHHH, THE WORLD IS ENDING as opposed to the sheer wonder that reporter radiates. i also might have used slightly stronger language than him.
if you’re also in the path of this fishy blizzard, may you be warm and cozy this weekend. if you’re not in the path of this storm, may your weekend be productive and fruitful and may you continue to associate nemo with a fish and not bucket loads of snow.
Abigail Mumford 