Anyone Tell You It's Cold Out There?

I really enjoy short conversations with people I see every day.

The woman who works the counter at the local convenience store is one such friend. When I'm working regularly...which is hopefully starting up again...she can set her watch by my appearance to buy the newspaper.

We trade kind words each day.

"You're walking better."

"How's your arthritis?"

She has grandchildren that she adores. We talk about recipes now and again. You know, just short words. I try and make her laugh every once in awhile.

On Friday I stopped in for the paper.

"Has anyone mentioned that it's cold?" I asked.

I was quite sure that everyone had mentioned it.

She sighed.

"Everyone is bitching to me," she said. "Like I control the thermostat."

And I laughed because I had said it just for that simple fact.

"Is that what you hate most about the job?" I asked.

She pointed to the lottery ticket display beside her.

"That's what I hate the most," she said. "People come in here and plop down at the counter and play. I hear why they have a number system and how close they came to winning the day before. They cry to me that they shouldn't be playing, and if one more person tells me that you have to be 'in it to win it'!"

A middle-aged guy entered the store so I pushed my dollar ahead and stepped aside. We exchanged 'Have a nice weekends' and then the guy stepped up.

"Can you turn the heat up a little?" The guy asked. "It's frigid out there."

He too had the paper.

"Just the paper?" My friend asked.

I was just about out the door when the guy answered.

"I need a few lottery tickets," he said. "A dollar and a dream."

I could almost hear the rage.

I held the door open for another lady stepping through.

"It's freezing!" she said as she got near me.

"Tell her," I said, pointing over my shoulder.

I walked by the window. The clerk was looking back at me. She had heard my tease. She flipped me off. Very casually.

Then we both laughed.

Damn, it's cold outside.