Dog walking clothes revisited...judge not...yeah, kind of preachy today.

I like to dress for the dog walk and then do messy chores (dishes, floors, cat litter, yard work - whatever) before or after. There is no reason to mess up two outfits. On Saturdays I head to the local taqueria to breakfast with a friend and run a few errands or go to the grocery store.

Last Saturday I had a deposit to make at the bank (No, I don't have a smart phone. I don't take pictures of my checks. I have direct deposit for those things that allow it and like to do the rest of my banking in person.). I took the last month's coins in as well.

I used to roll my coins (kind of therapeutic really) but then everyone got a coin machine and insisted on us using it (I didn't roll Canadian coins in with the U.S. - really. And I always counted and recounted so that I wouldn't cheat the bank.). Anyway, I took in my coins and ran them through the machine ($56.00 exactly).* As I walked away from the machine to the desk to write the deposit slip, one of the clerks asked, "Ma'am, can we cash that for you?"

"No." I replied. "I have a deposit to make."

I quickly realized it was the "dog walking clothes" that confused the clerk. She may have been gently trying to help the poor disheveled street person, but it irritated me. I knew she would realize her mistake as she assisted with my deposit and hoped she would learn from the experience.

After breakfast my friend and I drove to do some of her errands. I rode along to tell some lies and share some stories.** We ended up in the Salvation Army store*** after stopping at the bread store.

I was just riding along. I don't go to the bread store anymore now that we aren't feeding a crowd of children. My friend was shopping for things she can only find there. In any event, I spied a young man I know. He was helping out at the Salvation Army store. He is quite the character - tall and skinny (I love this kid. He has a crazy-mad-fabulous sense of humor. He is brilliant. He has a good heart.) and he told us that his program has a "community service" component.

I mentioned to my friend that I had considered introducing this young man to my daughter, except he was a smoker (apparently he has stopped smoking now, hmmm.).

My friend gave me a strange look and asked if I was serious. She had been a prosecutor for years. While I think of "students" doing volunteer service, she thinks "probationers" or "parolees" complying with terms of their release. I knew the young man was in a "college program," but my friend did not.

Now this friend is the most down to earth, real human being I know. I would say that she doesn't have a biased bone in her body, yet she cannot help but see the world through her experience, her filters.****

And so do I -- and the teller too.

So, I figure we all need to cut each other a break. Bank teller forgiven.


Notes:

* My grandmother used to save all her change. After a month or so she would hand coin-filled envelopes (wrapped with a rubber band) to my mother. Mom would roll the coins and take them to the savings and loan, splitting the money four ways and depositing it in our savings accounts. Those deposits added up and taught me a bit about savings. [Yes, this is one of many lessons in frugality for which I credit Grandma and Mom. Those lessons have served me well.]

**Like the one about my sister-in-law:  My sister-in-law riffled through my suitcase - confessing it to me just before bedtime the first night I was visiting them recently. She had thought my suitcase was my niece's diaper bag and was looking for a diaper for the baby. She was terribly embarrassed and all I could think was "THIS IS THE BEST STORY EVER!"  ( I should note that I love both of my sisters-in-law. I think my brothers and our family lucked out. We all get along beautifully.)

***It was a good morning. I received another story to tell and I also snagged a pretty fabulous hat for my future historic character representations ( I will leave that tale for another day).

**** And I guess she figured I would not be encouraging my child to be dating someone who had been in trouble with the law. And I guess she would probably be right.