Okay, so this post is technically cheating, because this happened to my mom and not to me. Don't stop reading! She described it to me in detail, and the encounter resonated with many that I've had, which is why I'm choosing to write about it. (Jenny, you can't even write one post without screwing over your own rules?, you may ask, disgusted. Unfortunately, it's true, but aren't rules really made so they can be broken at the right moment?)
So my mom is at the grocery store, standing by the Pigs Fly bread. Cinnamon raisin or whole wheat?, she muses to herself. From behind her, an old man shuffling by slows down and says, in that loud way that only nice old people can do well,
"I just love that cinnamon raisin Pigs Fly bread. It's so delicious."
My mom turns, smiling, and says that she agrees, that it really is great bread. But the old man isn't done.
"What's really great," he continues, "is that I can put anything on it. I can put a little bit of peanut butter on it, or a little bit of butter, or some jam. It really just goes well with everything!" And, shaking his head in wonder at the stunning versatility of the cinnamon raisin bread, the man shuffles away, smiling slightly to himself. My mom, charmed by his sincerity, picks up a loaf of the cinnamon raisin bread and goes to check out.
So, what's the point?, you ask, impatient to be done reading. (If you've managed to stay focused for this long, you have my sincere gratitude--the average span of focus is seven seconds,so you've really been pushing yourself!) Their interaction may not have accomplished anything (other than making up my mom's mind to buy the cinnamon raisin bread), but both my mom and Mr. Raisin Bread benefited from the interaction. I could go into the psychological benefits of interacting with other people, even in small ways, but I don't want to push my luck with your clearly thinning patience here.
No, they both benefited because they saw that they had something in common, even if it was just a love of Pigs Fly bread. Relating to a stranger is a great feeling--it reminds you that at the end of the day, we're all just human beings who are more or less the same. It's easy to forget how similar we all are when you miss out on these little moments. So try to have more of them! It can be as easy as this: next time you're standing near someone who tells a funny joke, laugh loudly enough that he or she glances over. Your eyes will meet, and like in a cheesy movie, that shared look will say it all: That was funny. I don't know you. But we can both laugh at the same thing, so maybe we're not that different.
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P.S. Oh, and I know that you're really just wondering about what makes this Pigs Fly bread so damn good. Check out their website and see for yourself! (I promise they did not pay me in any way, I just also happen to be a fan!)
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