This Christmas
I pulled into the parking lot to mail an overdue package. It had been taped up and ready to go for a week or more, but it felt impossible to find the time required to drive to the building down the street. The last time I'd put a box on the counter, I learned several requirements of packages and had to undo all my hard work and start again with regulation tape. I was ready this time in terms of my package, but was lacking the fortitude to try again.
This kind of snow causes people to say things like, "Don't go out there if you don't have to!" But I had dry cleaning to pick up and a car with four wheel drive, so I stopped hard on purpose to slide through the empty streets.
The parking lot of the post office was nearly empty. The only other car around held someone leaving, waiting for their blowers to turn hot before pulling out. It was the perfect time to mail an overdue package, I was back outside in minutes. There was a man walking past me into the building, and he shouted against the nonexistent wind, "Here's how you know this Christmas sucks!"
"Usually this place would be packed right now! But it's a ghost town!"
He wore oversized clothes and was an oversized man, spittle flying from his mouth as he proclaimed the shittiness of this Christmas. He was talking at me because I was the only person around.
"Maybe it's the snow," I replied, trying to look festive and jolly to prove that this Christmas isn't shitty.
But I think that was the wrong response. I should have said, "But we're here!"
This kind of snow causes people to say things like, "Don't go out there if you don't have to!" But I had dry cleaning to pick up and a car with four wheel drive, so I stopped hard on purpose to slide through the empty streets.
The parking lot of the post office was nearly empty. The only other car around held someone leaving, waiting for their blowers to turn hot before pulling out. It was the perfect time to mail an overdue package, I was back outside in minutes. There was a man walking past me into the building, and he shouted against the nonexistent wind, "Here's how you know this Christmas sucks!"
"Usually this place would be packed right now! But it's a ghost town!"
He wore oversized clothes and was an oversized man, spittle flying from his mouth as he proclaimed the shittiness of this Christmas. He was talking at me because I was the only person around.
"Maybe it's the snow," I replied, trying to look festive and jolly to prove that this Christmas isn't shitty.
But I think that was the wrong response. I should have said, "But we're here!"
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