Buying a sweater

Interesting weather this week.

A ton of rain.  A ton of wind.  And then, yesterday, winter-like temperatures.

I was out, delivering our papers, when the temperature began dropping.  My sport coat and t-shirt were not doing the trick.

Stopped in at Goodwill and found a really nice Greg Norman sweater for $3.79.

A woman was there, also shopping the men’s sweater rack.

“This is perfect,” I said.  “My size. My color.  My type of sweater.”

It’s gray, and the material (don’t know what) is rather thin.

“I’m looking for an ugly Christmas sweater,” she said.

“You’ve got plenty to choose from,” I said.

And she did.  I’ve never seen so many awful sweaters in my life.

Had to wait quite a while to check out.  The attractive young woman with long red hair on the register was a bit on the slow side. She was taking forever to bag another customer’s items.

I had deliveries to finish, and she seemed to be getting slower and slower.  I admit I was getting impatient.

When she finally got done with the person ahead of me, I was, well, perhaps a little irritated.

She smiled, and diffused my anger quickly.

“Weren’t you a teacher?” she asked.

I was a teacher.  For 24 years.  Two years as a high school English teacher.  15 years as a middle school technology instructor.  And 7 years in elementary school, also with technology.  This was in a different city, and county — from the Goodwill store in which I was now standing.

It felt like it was in a different life.

“I had you in middle school,” she said.  “You were a good teacher.”

All of a sudden I wasn’t in such a hurry.

We chatted for a minute.

I see them often — former students.  It always makes my day.

My yoga teacher

A dog makes a wonderful yoga teacher and all-around guru.

She teaches how to stretch, relax, breathe, meditate. All by example.

Notice her tail is on the corner of the yoga mat.

my yoga teacher and guru
my yoga teacher and guru