Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town

Townhall.com ^ | April 27, 2012 | Mike Adams

[prairiebreeze]

I witnessed a bit of a twist on the story once. In the express line at the grocery store an elderly woman was trying to check out. As she fumbled with her purse it became clear that she didn’t really have all her mental faculties and also didn’t even have enough cash or other method to pay. Perhaps she’d forgotten her money. As the line lengthened some in line started craning their necks to see what the hold up was. (normal behavior)

The CASHIER (a young woman) allowed herself to get flustered and became short with the poor woman and started chiding her for not having enough money, not being prepared etc. This just caused the poor old soul to become even more flustered.

A young man in line behind the elderly woman quietly hushed the cashier and paid for the woman’s groceries out of his own pocket. It was one of the most generous, kindest gestures I’ve ever seen. And I’m always glad that I didn’t get exasperated at all.

[what's up]

Someone should have said something to the younger man who was so impatient. He should have understood why the elderly woman was clinging on to the conversation with the young teller. It was probably more than a reminder of her children. More likely, it was a reminder that she had not seen them or talked to them in quite some time. As soon as she finished talking to the teller, the elderly woman walked out of the bank and headed across the parking lot towards her car. She was walking slowly and labored with every step as she leaned upon her cane for support. She had no one to help her. No husband. No son. No daughter. There was nothing to lean on but a cane.

It's hard to know. It's just possible that the woman has plenty of people she speaks to regularly. Perhaps she's the overly chatty type. Also, it could be she is not a bit lonely but prefers being out and about by herself. Her infirmity is no doubt a challenge for her, but all have challenges and she may be glad that she can still meet the challenge of doing things on her own.

Mind you, I am not someone who would want to be heartless toward one who is truly in need. It's just that it's impossible to know a strangers' situation. Often it's far from what it appears on the surface.

[Bigg Red]

That’s funny about your MIL.

My mother, in the last 2 years of her life, lost memory of her loved ones, although she continued to be pleasant and polite.

One of my brothers has a wife that Mother never cared for. But Mother was always polite to this DIL and never made her dislike obvious to my brother or to his wife, although she would sometimes make comments about her to my sisters and me in private.

My sisters and I found it amazing that, even when she no longer remembered who this DIL of hers was, Mother seemed to remember that she did not like her. She did not say anything rude, but she would make faces and did not want to be seated near this DIL.