Just a couple thoughts

When I was a little girl, I remember my mother sitting me and my siblings outside of the Hi-Lo Grocery store to wait for her while she went inside to do the weekly grocery shopping. There we’d sit in the 10 inches of shade afforded by the overhang, three little toe-headed Swedes in our summer flip-flops and straw hats. Just to the right of the big doors were three kiddy rides; a merry-go-round, a race car, and one of those one-car ferris wheels that stands about 6-feet tall. They cost a dime each. My mother seldom had extra money, so most days we’d sit there gazing longingly at those tantalizing attractions. Until we figured out that we were cute and could use it to our advantage. One day a woman walking out of the store came over, patted my brother on the head, and gave him a dime. Oh happy days! We took great care in deciding and settled on the merry-go-round because there were three seats - one for each of us.

I was the oldest - about six. Bill was five, Beth four. Vicki, the youngest was still a baby and too young to be part of the scam. We would sit with downcast faces, trying our best to look like sad little orphans, sometimes pretending to cry. All in the hope that a stranger would take pity on us and hand over ten cents. It didn’t work as often as we’d have liked, and of course once my mother caught on about what we were up to, the scheme came to an abrupt end.

Those were the days before child abductions and kids who were warned from the time they leave the womb that they should never speak to a stranger. Fast forward many years. As I was leaving the grocery store last week, there stood a little boy gazing longingly at the 6-machine gumball display. He played with the knobs, turning each one, hoping that somehow it would turn all the way and release a gum ball or one of those cheesy little toys. In a flash, those hot summer days came back to me. I reached into my wallet and pulled out four quarters…one for the little boy and one for each of his siblings who were still standing with mom in the checkout line. I said, “Here sweetheart, these are for you and your brothers & sister.” He looked at me with a combination of terror and hope. He wanted to reach out and take the quarters, but he was afraid of me - a stranger. I said, “That’s OK, I’ll ask your mom.” I looked up to see his mother was already watching me suspiciously. I held up the quarters, pointed to the machines and asked, “OK?” She smiled and nodded. I handed over the quarters and the siblings all clustered around the machines, deciding how to spend their loot. Made me smile all the way home.