Are you a Ducks or Beavers fan?

"Neither... I'm a Buckeye!"

A customer came through my line today and that was his greeting, as was that my reply. Proudly pronouncing my firmness in bleeding Scarlet and Gray. It seems to be the little things that remind me of home. The guy tonight then proceeded to tell me that he had just finished a job on a bridge that had come out from Ohio to work on it. Everywhere I look, there's something to remind me. I enjoy these moments. Just the other day a gentleman came to my register wearing a Brown's jersey and it made me smile. We chatted for a few minutes about how beautiful it was out that way, and how he found himself lost on some back roads but knew that if he just kept driving east he would, and did, eventually find the interstate again.
I had the day off yesterday so the three of us decided to make a trip to Goodwill to see if we could find a few things cheap for the apartment. Jasmine drove herself due to wanting the windows down, since she isn't sick now, and so she followed Chris and me in his truck. We stopped to grab some Chinese after the shopping exploit (we now have a dish rack!), and after that made our way back into town, just enjoying the drive itself. The land here reminds us both of home in some way or another, and everything seems to have so much character. I said something to that effect and he agreed, following it with "Are you sure it doesn't just seem that way because we're here together?" All I could do was smile and ask, "Perhaps, but does it really matter?" The fact of the matter is, we've found a happiness. A place to be ourselves and not feel the need to put on a mask for anyone. I look at him daily, I see the light in his eyes, the joke on his lips, and I can't help but smile. The future is uncertain, but I know that as long as I can call him my friend, all will be well.

And yet, there are still things that I come across in my day to day, that break my heart. There are parents, people, individuals that I would like to smack, yell at, and some just beat down. I had a couple come through my line this evening with 3 little ones. The oldest, a girl about 6 or 7 perhaps, was trying to help. All she wanted to do was put the merchandise onto the counter, and put the bags back into the cart. Yet, for some reason, the mother just kept repeating the same few phrases over and over at her. "Just shut up! I don't want your help. Just stop. I said shut up!" And if that wasn't bad enough, not only did the guy she was with just stand there all but oblivious, the little girl wasn't phased at all. She just kept going on, doing her thing. How sad is it that a child, any child, would be so used to being talked to that way. Does she ever feel like she's something more than a burden? Does she have any idea what its like to be loved? ... I just...I don't understand.