$17.50

I'm that creeper lady that just talks to people at the grocery store.  I talk to children, especially if they're crying. Last time I was at Aldi I asked a man and his gal with him who did his locs (she did, man was I tempted to get her phone number). Today I spoke to an older woman, warning her about how my grandmother's wallet was stolen in December at her grocery store in Memphis. And I visited briefly with another young grandmother with two young boys visiting her.

It started because she was talking with the boys about what they could or could not buy, and she said "Your daddy only gave me $17 to feed you this weekend, so we can't buy just anything."  So I told the boys this story:  One time I didn't have nothing for food but my WIC vouchers, and I had to walk to the store because I didn't have money to buy gas for the car. Now back then, WIC vouchers didn't get you any bread- just peanut butter, eggs, milk, cheese and cereal. So I prayed as I walked to the store, "Lord help me get a loaf of bread."  And I picked up a penny. And another.  Even found a nickel and a quarter. By the time I got to the store, I had found just enough change, exactly the price of one loaf of bread.

The older of the boys gave a whistle and said, "That's tight."

They went on with their shopping down the chip aisle.

I finished my shopping, not finding the other two things on my list at that little store, and the clerk rang up my purchases. $17.50. I thought that was a little crazy, that I had spent $17, too.