Exceptions To Every Rule

Okay, so a little while back, I mentioned that it annoys me when my checkout clerk at the grocery store is too busy conversing with his/her bagger to scan my groceries expeditiously, so that I am in and out of the store in a timely manner. Tonight, I discovered there is an exception to this rule. When both the grocery clerk and the bagger are ladies of a certain age (think 65+) and they are sniping at each other because one of them can't get the bags hung properly so she can bag my groceries, and then the other turns to me and says "Don't worry... We're old friends," I find that instead of being annoyed, I am charmed.

In addition, when my best friend then turns to me on the way out of the store and says to me, "Okay, when we're 80, we SO can't get jobs together," I am not only charmed, I am entertained. I see women like those two ladies manning that checkout lane and it's as though I'm getting a glimpse of my future with Snark's Mistress. Both of us crabbing at each other like we always have, but with that undercurrent of genuine affection that keeps it from being too awkward for those unfortunate souls who have to bear witness. It makes me smile, thinking of what we're going to be like in our twilight years. I mean, who knows what the next few decades will hold for us, but when I imagine what things will be like on the other side, I see myself huddled together with my best friend, making catty remarks about random young whippersnappers and wearing overly large hats. (I don't know why the hats. Neither of us wears hats now. I don't know why would start wearing hats as we get older, much less overly large hats. But I see hats in our future.)

So, to recap, whiny, crybaby, I-only-had-two-candy-bars-to-eat-today-boo-hoo-woe-is-me checkout guy? Still has me annoyed. But cute, charming, little old biddies checkout team? Has me completely won over.