When Did Common Sense Die?

The local fabric store, where I have been shopping for 15 years, has been remodeling.  I had avoided the place all spring.  I had a 50% off coupon today, so I ventured in.

In the past you picked out your fabric, waited in line at the cutting table until your turn, had the fabric cut,  paid and left.  So today I got the fabrics I wanted and stood at the cutting table.  The man who is usually there, was standing behind the table.  He continued to stand.....looking at me.  I said, “I want 1 yard of each of these fabrics.”  He said nothing and continued to stand looking at me.  I noticed another associate on the phone, and since the man has always seemed a little odd, I thought well maybe he isn’t working the cutting table.  I waited about 5 minutes.

In the meantime, two ladies came walking up.  The odd man said to them, “Take a number, “ Which they both did and he started cutting their fabric.  I was really irritated at this point, since there were no signs, and nothing had been said about there now being a “number” system.

When they left, he came to me and said, “I couldn’t cut your fabric because you had not taken a number.”  I looked at him amazed, and said,

“I was the only one at the cutting table. So I was obviously number one at that point.”  He pointed to the number and said,

“Well no, you would have to have a number and be number 38 in order for me to have cut your fabric.”

KaBlewy!!!!  Good thing I don’t carry a gun.

Sons

I have had the dubious reputation of being “Ferris Bueller’s Mother”.  My son has never let my life be boring.  Shortly after getting his driver’s license (before phones with cameras) he kept asking to borrow my camera.  “I don’t have film in it, but you can use it.”  Which he did, and returned it.  I didn’t think much of it until he proudly showed me pictures of his 1993 S10 Blazer airborne!
“What were yout thinking ?!?!?!” I screamed.
“Oh it was safe Mom, we were out at that sand pit...out of town.”
“I am not talking about where you were airborne!!!  I am talking about being airborne at all!!!!!”

That was just the beginning.  When he was 21, Austin had made it into the local police academy.  He was busy from morning until night, including many late nights studying.  One afternoon he came by fairly early in the afternoon. “ Hey Mom you want to go for a ride with me?”  Surprised and flattered I of course, said yes.
“Where are we going?" I asked.
“Oh I just have to go check something out for work.”
“The police department work?” I asked.
“Yeah, that work.”

I noticed we were heading toward an undesireable part of town.  “Do you have to talk to someone?”
“No I just have to find a house.  It is in this neighborhood that only has one way in and one way out.”
“That sounds kind of dangerous in this area.”
“It is.”
“So why again are you taking me here?”
“They told me to not go out here alone.....I am looking up a crack house.”
“A crack house??? And you are taking ME with you?”
“Well they told me not to go alone!”
“But I am sure they didn’t tell you to take your mother with you!”
“Just be cool Mom, look for this house number.”
“YOU look for it! YOU are the cop.”
“I am not supposed to look at the houses, that would be conspicuous...,”
“And me looking at the numbers would not be??? Let’s get out of here.”
“Got it, I know where it is.....”

We headed out of the neighborhood.  I was thoroughly unnerved.   "Why didn’t you wait and take Dad with you?"
“Mom, he is out of town I had to do it tonight......”
“Don’t you have any friends??????”
“Come on Mom,  I ‘ll take you to Sonic......

 I am sure the airborne picture is still in his wallet......

Daughters

Today discovered some very precious memories.  When my daughter was in college she found some cartoon cards with cats dressed up like cowboys and saloon girls.  My daughter and I are estranged.  She married a man who wanted our family out of her life.  We are.

I was taking pictures down in the guest room, rearranging for shutters to be hung.  It is decorated with cowboy things, rodeo posters and western things acquired over the years.  Four of those pictures were those cartoon cat pictures.  As I was taking them down, I remembered they were note cards with notes my daughter had sent me while she was in college.  What an incredible find.  As I took them apart I found a part of my life I had lost.



The first card she told me where she had found them....at an art fair.  They had reminded her of our crazy cats at the time.  (We always imagined those silly cats had a secret “people like” thought process.)  She said she had enjoyed the art fair and that this one of Miss Pearl and Shorty was her favorite.

In the second card she told me about the new phone she had gotten and some of the features it had.  This was when we had just started using cell phones and none of them were “smart”. She thought the new phone would help her with her job.  Plus, it had emergency features that included for $5.00 a month having her car unlocked at no charge....which back then was a pretty common occurrence.












On the third card she talked about a job she had gotten at the Fountainhead.  She is a professional writer and this was one of her first writing jobs, so she was very excited about it.  She thanked us for the new snow skis and said that all of her friends thought they were really pretty.
                                                   

The last note was short.  She was very busy but just wanted to say hi. She signed it, “I love you.” I had forgetten how special a short note can be, even if there is really nothing to say.  I touched the ink, looked at her handwriting, and remembered a time when she wanted to be a part of our lives.  I will treasure those notes....forever and always.