...the check-out cashier said to me yesterday as I blushed tomato-red. Yes, it's true. I typically buy just one tomato. One tomato is all I need. I buy tomatoes only for myself, and I live close enough to the grocery store and eat them irregularly enough that I buy them as I need them and I always have fresh tomatoes on my counter.
I was more taken aback by being noticed. I grocery shop typically twice a week, and I had myself recognized the cashier. But I assumed from her perspective I was among the faceless mass of hundreds of produce-buyers she sees each week. Yet among us all I was labeled as a tomato eccentric. Walking home I thought to make salsa soon just for an excuse to buy multiple tomatoes at once.
But her one little comment ballooned into social paranoia: who else is noticing me? Am I projecting other weird, OCD habits? Robotic regimentation?
During college, I was a regular at Einstein Bagels and my usual order - and I remember it perfectly - was a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese and a blueberry strudel muffin. We gave our names like Starbucks as our orders were prepared and pretty soon the manager Stephanie started calling out to me as I waited in line well before the counter, "raisin bagel with cream cheese, T.J.?" The first time I could only think to call back, "am I that boring?!" Even if she didn't say it, the cosmic answer was was probably "yes". I started varying my order after that.
Yesterday's tomato incident might be the universe calling again. Unfortunately, there are few true substitutes for tomatoes-on-the-vine. Canned diced don't go well on sandwiches.
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