When Strangers are Kind

It was pouring . (photo credit to Ben Rumeau) Such that by the time I crossed the three (small) parking lots between Panera and Aldi, my shoes were soggy and squeaking and my pants were drenched well above my knees. I went past all of the people who were watching the rain pound down from the shelter of the overhang and zipped through the aisles to grab my two bags of oranges and two bags of carrots and hamburger buns. (See? I did buy something that wasn't orange!) I checked out, loaded up my trusty backpack, and still had about twenty minutes before my bus was due. I may be willing to wade through a embryonic flood zone to get groceries, but I'm not quite so masochistic to want to stand in chilly rain for twenty minutes waiting for a bus. Particularly when it's the type of rain that seems to be determined to ignore my umbrella and soak me anyway. So I took a seat on the bagging counter. (Don't judge me too harshly. Several other people were doing the same thing.