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As you'll know as a regular reader of this blog, most of my human interactions these days happen in the queue at Waitrose - aside from podcasts that's the only time I really talk to anyone else. I am worried that most of the Waitrose check out process is automated now, but there's a couple of tills still open for the people who refuse to embrace new technology (which isn't usually me) or don't want to become an unpaid employee of Waitrose, scanning their stuff for nowt.
There was a mother and daughter ahead of me, the daughter possibly about my age, the mother, I'd guess in her 70s or thereabouts. They were buying their stuff separately so counted as two customers, but neither had much to buy and so it was clearly the better till over the buy with a trolley busting like a teenage boys nuts in the next aisle.
The older lady put the last of her shopping on the conveyor and then helpfully put the next customer divider on. I respect the shoppers who are kind enough to do this for you (I always do) and so I thanked her. She seemed surprised to be acknowledged and looked round at me and clearly was beguiled by this vision of a young man in tight shorts and a dirty T shirt and said that that was OK.
She then stared quite closely at the first items I'd put on the belt. Usually this would be the sign of an unwanted conversation and my heart sank a bit. She was looking at my boxes of Trip drinks. These are the CBD infused soft drinks that are meant to make you relax and which I sometimes sup in the evening in lieu of alcohol
https://tripdrinks.co/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw8fu1BhBsEiwAwDrsjLW2NrJzfY-9X1a_uNzdnGx1dnl8kekFGzAXLVrZMTUH3VLWXRaK0BoC29cQAvD_BwE and which I mainly like because I can say "Don't even trip, dawg" like Morty from Rick and Morty when I'm drinking them. As I said yesterday I regret not having killed myself with nose-cocaines and so am thrilled to be imbibing cannabis, even with all the good bits of it taken out.
"What are these?" asked the lady.
"Oh they're these new drinks that are meant to make you relax," I explained, "I don't think there's anything actually illegal in them really or they wouldn't be selling them in Waitrose."
"Oh, that's a pity!" said this old minx cheekily and reached over and squeezed my hand.
Of course old people were once young people and she was very likely a teenager or young adult in the summer of love (when I was born) and so of course she took drugs, but she seemed very respectable now and was also in Waitrose and this all felt thrillingly naughty.
Usually a stranger touching you in public would be a cause for concern, but this little gesture was sweet and harmlessly flirtatious and made totally acceptable by us sharing a moment or rebellion. After all the crap I was saying yesterday it was nice to see that spark doesn't go out easily. Even if my new friend was likely much more of an experimenter than I had ever been.
She told me she just drank wine now and indicated a couple of bottles on the conveyor belt. There was a little spark and maybe if I'd met her 30 years ago we could have smoked a joint and banged in the toilets (though I'd have of course run away as soon as drugs were mentioned), but it was now just a charming bit of nonsense with a stranger.
She paid up and wished me a good day and said she hoped I enjoyed my drinks and I did the same regarding her wine and off she went.
We both felt a little happier and I found it interesting that this shared moment was life-enhancing rather than upsetting and weird. There's a very thin line between appropriate and inappropriate and sometimes it's hard to put your finger on why. Somehow the playfulness of it all was clear and fine and harmless.
So it looks like Trip drinks make you relaxed and happy even without you having to drink them.
This blog is not sponsored by Trip, but if they want to send me some free drinks that's cool.
