(One of our admins sent the following email:)
Email: “A black t-shirt has been found outside our building. If it is yours, I hate it.”
(She meant to type, “I have it.”)
Today I went to buy groceries at a health food store. Life has been difficult lately. There was fraud on my bank account and because of that, I was $200 overdrawn. I had been looking for work for a few months now; I had to leave my last job because management stole my tips and did not pay overtime.
So, here I was, with a $20 bill that was borrowed from a kind friend, trying to buy enough groceries for the week. As I explained to the cashier that I might not have enough for [item], I noticed a man in line at another register staring at me with a smile on his face. I am certain that I did not know him.
I was thankfully able to afford [item], but I did have to skip some purchases due to my limited budget. The strange man kept smiling at me and staring. I made the sign of the cross and say a quick prayer.
After paying, I sat down at one of the tables to drink a tea I had bought. The strange man approached me and I was a bit scared. He then handed me a ten dollar bill and said, “I hope this can help you.” I managed to thank him before he walked away. I also said, “I misunderstood your intentions towards me.”
And yes, I went back through the store to pick up a few additional items!
God bless you, Staring Stranger. I hope to one day pay for someone’s groceries as you have done for me.
(I am getting my top two wisdom teeth removed and the dentist gives me two little pills to swallow in order to get me through the procedure. My father was to this dentist for the same thing about two weeks prior and he had some… interesting hallucinations from it. Now it is my turn. I do remember some of this, but it was retold to me by my wife several hours later after the drugs wore off. This occurs during the time I am in the waiting room until I sit down in the chair.)
Me: “I’m… really feeling it now.”
Wife: “Okay, just lay your head down on my shoulder. They said it should act pretty fast.”
Me: *waking back up a bit* “We almost got them.”
Wife: “Huh? You almost got who?”
Me: “The Smurfs… They’re going rogue… I’m having a war with the Smurfs…”
Wife: “Oh, really?”
Me: “Yeah… yeah… Had to take out Joker Smurf… He was putting down IED presents… A sniper got him… Saved all of us…”
Wife: “Okay, well, just be careful.”
Me: *waking back up again and finding myself shuffling with her help and the nurse* “Brainy… Brainy stole our Blackhawk… I got him with the LAW… Had to blow it up…”
Nurse: *laughing really hard* “What is going on?”
Me: “Smurfs attacked… Brainy stole a helicopter… Gargamel… Gargamel is behind it all… He got big… like a video game boss… Commander killed him with a lightning gun…”
(My wife and the nurse are laughing like crazy as I’m laid back into the chair and start to doze off. Suddenly I bolt upright and look out the window.)
Me: “OH, MY GOD! LOOK AT THAT TURKEY!”
(At this point the dentist has come in and I hear him laughing.)
Dentist: “Turkey? You mean that bush?”
Me: “NO! It’s HUGE! AND PURPLE!”
(I guess I passed back out at that point and they were able to get my teeth pulled with no problems. I remember the Smurf War and could write a book about it, but the turkey thing was new to me. If I ever have to get teeth pulled again, whatever they gave me is what I’d request again! My wife wishes she had recorded it all… So do I.)
(I have worked at a veterinarian office as a receptionist for the last ten years and know how to read people pretty well. At this particular practice, pets that are getting procedures done are scheduled to be dropped off no later than 8:30 am. This means that by the time I come in at 9:00 am, all the procedure pets are already at the office. The first thing I do is check the schedule to see what appointments are due to come in. A husband and wife come into the office looking visibly distressed. The husband is holding a bundle of towels in his arms very protectively. This is common for people who are coming in with very sick or old pets. I motion for them to come over to my desk.)
Me: “What’s going on there?”
Husband: “This is [Dog].”
(He looks like he is about to cry and doesn’t elaborate the reason for his visit. I remember from looking at the schedule that there is a pet by the same name due to come in to get euthanized. The office has a very strict euthanasia policy. The doctor must examine the pet prior to the procedure, and if the pet appears healthy we will not euthanize. I can partially see the pet wrapped in the towels and can tell that it matches the breed due to come in, but looks it to be healthy. I make a note in the chart so the doctor knows what he is getting into when he does the exam. I motion for them to follow me into the room we leave open for pets that are getting put to sleep.)
Wife: “[Doctor] said we can wait in the office until the procedure is over.” *sniffing into a tissue*
Me: “You can stay as long as you like; there is no rush. If you like you can even stay in the room with her. Let me just get you to fill out the forms, and I will let the doctor know you are here.”
Wife: “We already filled these out.” *barks at me without looking at the forms*
Me: “Okay, let me check your account and see if I can find them.”
(I check the account, and I don’t see any signed euthanasia forms.)
Me: “I am so sorry, but I was unable to find the signed forms. Do you mind filling them out again for me?”
Wife: “Fine.” *goes to sign forms again without looking at them*
Husband: “EUTHANASIA! WHAT THE F***?! [Dog] is here for a [drop-off procedure]!”
Wife: “WHAT?! OH, MY GOD! WHAT THE H*** WERE YOU THINKING?! WHAT IF I SIGNED THAT?! YOU WOULD HAVE KILLED MY DOG!”
Me: “I am so sorry. It was an honest mistake, but don’t worry; we never would have euthanized your pet. [Doctor] always does an exam…”
Wife: “NO! You tried to kill my puppy!”
(Both husband and wife left the room, all the while yelling that I tried to kill their dog to all the other clients in the waiting room. I went straight to the office manager and let her know what happened. I let her know that I didn’t know that there were two dogs that have the same name and breed due to come in on the same day, as well as having a drop-off procedure come in later then is required. I admitted that I didn’t ask the client’s name and that was my mistake. My office manager agrees that it was an honest mistake and anyone would have made the same one. Later an agent from the Better Business Bureau called and took my statement about the incident, and I never heard anything about it again, nor did those clients ever come back.)
Me: “[My Department], this is [My Name]; may I help you?”
Caller: “I’m glad you speak American.”
Me: *to myself* “I take it you were an American major in college?”
