Bumpkins in the City
Aug 27, 2013 13:37:53 GMT -5
BasleeBackwoodsFarm, farmwench, and 3 more like this
Post by yvonnemm on Aug 27, 2013 13:37:53 GMT -5
Yesterday, we went to the “big” city to shop for clothes, for an upcoming wedding. It’s been years since we’ve shopped in traditional stores. It was a bit like bumpkins on parade. We’d never used a debit card, because we’re afraid we’ll forget we spent the money. We also never use credit cards anymore. Plus, we just don’t shop. So, the check stand apparatus was totally new to us. We forgot our checks, so we had to use the debit card. Apparently, people have been using those cards for years at stores. Our newness at the process certainly set us apart. We had to ask for instructions and admit our ignorance. Honestly, we were vastly amused and left most stores giggling because we just knew what people thought. Actually, we didn’t wait to leave to giggle, we just giggled in front of everyone at the preposterousness of it all.
I’m from the city. I’m quite certain I’ve been a little baffled at ‘country’ people before. Folks who don’t know what some of these ‘modern’ things are. In a world where things move at the speed of light, and as soon as you buy the new technology it’s outdated, we don’t fit anymore, I don’t fit anymore. What’s more is - I don’t care. Actually, I might be a little proud. It was a lot of pretension I carried around all those city years. It was also a lot of work to keep up with the constant new stuff and the speed. No wonder I thought I was busy then
I never looked down on people but I was baffled, that’s for sure. It was interesting and refreshing to be on the other side of the dichotomy. As we meandered through this modern fast paced world, we were just us. We’re not all that old, but if you bring to mind two 80 year old ladies walking anywhere, bickering, bantering, pausing to stare in wonder, moving on, seemingly oblivious to all looks of bafflement, amazement or condescension, well, that’s more what we looked like. What a pair! We had a wonderful day. It was a blast, though it was long. What a fantastic opportunity to see ourselves through the eyes of others. It was so much fun. I now know what all of those old ladies, I’ve seen, thought and felt. As we stood back and admired those old ladies, in years past, for not caring how “out of it” they were, they were entertained by us for thinking that “out of it” mattered at all.
The actual reason I began to write this was to relate what happened to us early on in the day. We made our way to the city slowly, delivering eggs along the way. We arrived at lunch time. We never eat out anymore either. We used to like PF Changs when we did eat out. We’d no idea if it still existed, but we headed there anyway. On the way, we talked about the huge cost of eating out. I mean, it’s not like buying a house, but I can buy 50 lbs of dry, organic, beans that will take us a year to eat, for the cost of one lunch at PF Changs. We measure that cost, most costs, much differently than we used to. Ultimately, we decided what the heck! It’s been years since we’ve eaten out anywhere, let alone a semi decent restaurant, and, as luck would have it, PF Changs was still there.
We sat, we ordered, we ate. We were in our own little world (just like at the stores later), bantering, bickering, tasting each other’s meals. I don’t think I noticed another person in the restaurant, save the waiter. When it came time to pay, the waiter brought the check plate with only fortune cookies on it. “Some people sitting over there paid for your meal before they left”, he said. Whaaaat? We asked who, because of course we’d not seen anyone, let alone anyone we knew. He didn’t know who they were. What a wonderfully nice thing. We’ve both done nice things on occasion, of similar nature, but this is the first time either of us has been a recipient. It was pretty neat to be on the opposite end of this experience too! Mary opened her fortune cookie and it said “the good you do will come back to you”. Do you think they planted that cookie;)?
I’m from the city. I’m quite certain I’ve been a little baffled at ‘country’ people before. Folks who don’t know what some of these ‘modern’ things are. In a world where things move at the speed of light, and as soon as you buy the new technology it’s outdated, we don’t fit anymore, I don’t fit anymore. What’s more is - I don’t care. Actually, I might be a little proud. It was a lot of pretension I carried around all those city years. It was also a lot of work to keep up with the constant new stuff and the speed. No wonder I thought I was busy then
I never looked down on people but I was baffled, that’s for sure. It was interesting and refreshing to be on the other side of the dichotomy. As we meandered through this modern fast paced world, we were just us. We’re not all that old, but if you bring to mind two 80 year old ladies walking anywhere, bickering, bantering, pausing to stare in wonder, moving on, seemingly oblivious to all looks of bafflement, amazement or condescension, well, that’s more what we looked like. What a pair! We had a wonderful day. It was a blast, though it was long. What a fantastic opportunity to see ourselves through the eyes of others. It was so much fun. I now know what all of those old ladies, I’ve seen, thought and felt. As we stood back and admired those old ladies, in years past, for not caring how “out of it” they were, they were entertained by us for thinking that “out of it” mattered at all.
The actual reason I began to write this was to relate what happened to us early on in the day. We made our way to the city slowly, delivering eggs along the way. We arrived at lunch time. We never eat out anymore either. We used to like PF Changs when we did eat out. We’d no idea if it still existed, but we headed there anyway. On the way, we talked about the huge cost of eating out. I mean, it’s not like buying a house, but I can buy 50 lbs of dry, organic, beans that will take us a year to eat, for the cost of one lunch at PF Changs. We measure that cost, most costs, much differently than we used to. Ultimately, we decided what the heck! It’s been years since we’ve eaten out anywhere, let alone a semi decent restaurant, and, as luck would have it, PF Changs was still there.
We sat, we ordered, we ate. We were in our own little world (just like at the stores later), bantering, bickering, tasting each other’s meals. I don’t think I noticed another person in the restaurant, save the waiter. When it came time to pay, the waiter brought the check plate with only fortune cookies on it. “Some people sitting over there paid for your meal before they left”, he said. Whaaaat? We asked who, because of course we’d not seen anyone, let alone anyone we knew. He didn’t know who they were. What a wonderfully nice thing. We’ve both done nice things on occasion, of similar nature, but this is the first time either of us has been a recipient. It was pretty neat to be on the opposite end of this experience too! Mary opened her fortune cookie and it said “the good you do will come back to you”. Do you think they planted that cookie;)?