Step 36: Meet an Interesting Young Man

I was really worried that I was going to have to come up with something philosophical to hide that once again I didn't do anything of interest or merit today (beyond scooping litter boxes, which is boring and gross). But then, I ran out of toilet paper.

...This is not going where you might think it is. All it means was I went to the grocery store. Once I got there, I realized that I was hungry for something crunchy. Chips. So I went over to the chip aisle, and started trying to pin down which flavor I wanted, when I encountered a guy a little younger than me, I thought about 20, but he was convinced he was at least 21, seeing as he later grabbed a 6-pack of beer. He said hi, I smiled and said hello. Then we had a conversation. Here's how it went.

Him: You know, there are just so many choices here...
Me: Yeah, I know, sometimes it's hard to pick.
Him: Exactly, I don't know what to pick.
Me: Well, what are you in the mood for?
Him: I don't know! I mean, when you're a student on a budget, it's hard to get what you want and can afford.
Me: Yeah, I suppose so.
Him: You don't want to get the cheap stuff, because you don't know how it's going to be...
Me: Yeah, it's always oily and really salty. But, I think I'm gonna go with the cheddar and sour cream.
Him: That sounds good. Ruffles is a brand you can trust.
Me: I like it.
Him: What about this puffcorn? Have you tried it?
Me: I haven't, but we sell a lot of it where I work.
Him: Where do you work?
Me: I work at C's.
Him: Oh, cool. And people buy a lot of this?
Me: Yep, we have a hard time keeping it in stock.
Him: You've convinced me, I'm gonna go with it. My hands are gonna be oily...
Me: You could grab some napkins, too.
Him: Yeah, but again...budget...
Me: You can get free napkins at any gas station!
Him: I didn't even think of that! Good idea! Thanks!
Me: You bet, have a good night.

Then he went and grabbed the beer, and was behind me in the checkout, but we exchanged no further dialogue.

For some reason, two thought occured to me when I saw him with the beer and puffcorn.

1.) I hope he's just a nice, outgoing kid. Maybe being intentionally outgoing as an important life skill for whatever his major is.

2.) I hope the cashier cards him.

Which is when I learned that while I really want to trust people who will randomly chat with you about chips, I'm also wary of them. Probably because it goes against the social norms I've grown comfortable with and accustomed to following.

In any case, I hope he really was just a nice kid, and that he has a nice evening.