Dear Reader,
I admire creative people and I met one at a new bagel store the other day. It is a popular place. I'd heard a lot of great things about their chocolate chip/raspberry bagel and I wanted to taste it for myself. There were two lines for customers: one for "Order Ahead Only," and the other was a walk-in line for those of us who didn't pre-plan our bagel urges. There was only one customer in the Order Ahead line, while the other Waiting to be Served line--the one that I was in--snaked around the store; all the way back to the front door.
I don't mind waiting, but I did start to covet that Order Ahead Line. I couldn't take my eyes off of it as my mind was racing, trying to find some "gray area" in the call ahead rule that I could fit into.
I get the same feelings whenever I'm in the grocery store--waiting in a long line--staring at the customer-barren "10 items or less line" right next to me. (I always try to talk my husband into splitting up our basket of groceries; each of us taking 10 items. But, he was one of those kids who played a prank in school and then had to fess-up out of guilt. So, I've never been successful in selling him on the idea.)
The employee behind the Order Ahead check-out line in the bagel store empathized with our situation and called out loudly, "Does anyone have an online or called in order?" Everyone stared at that open line, our mouths watering, but no one responded. "Would anyone like to call me on their cell phone and give me their order?" Now this is my kind of woman--creative and resourceful--and I reminded myself to tell her so, just as soon as she answered 'my' cell phone call.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
* This month's Penguin Classics is The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win
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