I used to be a caterer and she first saw me working a function on a pretty nice golf course.. I was oblivious, I was working…
I start going to a specific bank to make my deposits and pay bills, not knowing she works there or she even exists, she is just another teller to me…. she has already told everybody about me but I somehow end up going to her, but it never works out that way… fast forward a few months, we are at the same party with different groups, but we have a mutual friend who tells me I need to meet this girl as I was leaving… quick introductions, I promise to wait in line for her at the bank on Monday… we start going out..a year later I propose on Christmas morning….been happily married for 14 years with 2 beautiful kids…

My little brother, sister and mom were playing a board game, once they finished cleaning it up my brother took it to put it away. My sister and I are sitting in the kitchen chatting, when my brother comes in with the game, opens the refrigerator and then stops. He closed the door and put it in the correct spot. He said he was hungry and wanted lunch…

It’s 2020 and social distancing is in force due to the coronavirus. I go to a large store which has marked their aisles with one-way signs on the floor, and lines marking the required distance of separation. And I notice there’s a staff member at a junction of aisles, holding up a large sign, “Please keep two metres apart”.

Me to her, from the supposed safe distance:
Excuse me, can you tell me where to find headache pills, please?

She: Lowers her sign, comes over to me.
I’m sorry, what did you say you’re looking for?

(If you’re reading this, thank you again for your help.)

During college, I rented a room in a small town about half an hour from campus. When I say small I mean the kind of town that a new stop sign makes headlines. My landlady’s son graduated from the local school(not high school, school) and his graduating class was him and a set of twins. So small town.

The day I moved in my landlady was going over the house rules and telling me about what was available in town(general store/gas station and a really small restaurant) and said “oh if Mrs. [name] comes up to you, just play along and let me know what she said to you.”

Me: Who’s Mrs. [name]?

Landlady: You shouldn’t run into her if you don’t spend a lot of time walking around town. Don’t worry she’s harmless and really a sweetheart. Just confused is all.

Fast forward a few weeks it is Saturday and I have decided to check out the restaurant, no reason to drive when I can just walk.
I’ve just passed the general store when I hear an older woman call out: [not my name]! So wonderful to see you again darling, how have you been?

Next thing I know a little old lady is giving me a quick hug. While I stood like a deer in headlights.

Mrs [name]: It really is wonderful to see you, can you give me a hand with the groceries if it’s not too much trouble? *holds out a single shopping bag*

Being a boy scout my first response is to take the bag and offer her my arm.

During the half a block walk from the general store to her home Mrs. [name] continued to refer to me as [not my name] asked me about my mother, if she was doing well, if ‘our James’ had written recently from the war. If I had heard about how the [last name] girl had just had twins and what I thought of the names she had picked. And if my little brother wasn’t otherwise employed this weekend she would like to have her lawn mowed. We got to her door I said I would ask him and bid her farewell.

That night I told my landlady our conversation.

Landlady: Oh the [last name] twins, and the war, she’s in the 70s again, that’s not bad. I’ll call the preacher after dinner.

Me: Ok so who is she and what exactly is going on?

Landlady: Mrs. [name] had a very tragic life, lost her just about everyone in her life; six siblings, parents, husband, had at least 3 stillbirths, all before she was 25. That sort of broke the poor thing, she isn’t sure what year it is, knows everyone by name, but never calls anybody by the same name twice. Her family used to own most of the town so she was well known before her break. In the beginning, I think they thought she might come back to her senses someday, but now we don’t have much hope for that.

Me: Why isn’t she in an asylum?

Landlady: Why should she be? She can take care of herself, she’s in good health. If she needs something she askes for it, like today with the lawn care. I’ll let the preacher know and tomorrow he’ll ask if anyone wants to go round her place with a mower. She has a cousin in the city managing her trust fund, so all her bills get paid on time. She’s ours, we can take care of her ourselves.

I think about Mrs. [name] a lot now, wonder how she’s doing these days, I’m sure her town still takes care of her if she needs it.

Although not officially fired at the time, I knew my job was on the chopping block. Our department was in the window and the company could not keep all the people employed there. I was OK with this although I had loved working for this company, due to various changes, I didn’t like it that much anymore. It was not bad, it was just… different and not all changes were for the better in my opinion.
One evening, I was doing overtime preparing files that needed be done before the next morning. My manager came by, saw me sitting at my desk working through the pile and just laughed in my face telling me I was an idiot working that late knowing I was going to be fired (at the same time confirming it was me who had to go as it was not “known” yet).
As I was planning to work in the same sector, meeting the same customers I just proceeded to finish what needed to be done. What the manager clearly didn’t understand was that I was working for my future, not for the company. When I finally left for the day, I saw my manager sharing his laugh with a colleague, clearly about the nitwit staying so late working. Needless to say, this manager was one of the reasons I wasn’t too sad leaving.
Things worked out for me. The company taking over our department needed extra clerks so who better than someone who was already acquainted with the work?
The changes that changed the atmosphere were just a beginning and a few years later, following more and bigger changes, that manager was let go as well. It took him a while to find a new position.