Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The HANDSOME Man in the Black TURTLENECK


Here is one of those random blog entries, that I am unsure what my point will be...but the attractive man who I saw in a black turtleneck, now months ago...still stays with me. And no, not for the reason some of you may think...it was more than a interesting image. Let me start from the beginning. It was a cold , dark evening...I decided I wanted a little restaurant 's Greek chicken and Greek yummy potatoes and salad for dinner. I don't go to this neighborhood restaurant more than maybe once a month or so, if that...as each dinner costs almost 11.00, and I'm fairly thrifty about take-out . I could make a chicken and potato dinner for less than 22.00...BUT...I am in love with these little , chubby roasted potatoes they make. Plus , they also make the most delectable, mouth-watering hand-size chocolate-chip-pecan-oatmeal cookies every night. They look sort of like these...but bigger.
 Super Yummy.

Anyway, I drove down in the dark, parked my car....got out and crossed over the small parking area in the front. I had on my workout clothes again ( track suit ). I am going to make another disclaimer here, in so many of my posts , I am wearing a tracksuit/workout clothes. I am fortunate , since I work out of my home, to be able to wear these...but I do wear dresses to church and jeans to go antique shopping. Just so you know I am capable of wearing something else. Stay with me, there is a reason  for that info. I cross in front of a medium sized sport car or luxury car or some type of pricey car , pass through the headlights...and notice an attractive man and his date pulling up to eat.
Both are dressed nice, unlike me...and I scoot in and go to the small front counter to pick up my food...plus my cookie.


Bear in mind, this restaurant is very small,  the little kitchen is the size of a small room 8 x 10 ft. at most. The owner is one of the cooks, he is always back there, usually fussing at the other cook he has hired. I walk up to the little front counter, and see my dinners ready to go, ask her to make sure she has my cookie ( 3rd disclaimer now, I refuse to buy my husband these cookies anymore as he does not appreciate them...they cost 1.75 each, he swallows them in two bites, and does not even taste them. He also ate mine and his cookie that I brought back, even before his dinner one time...so I have banned him from receiving these at all. Don't think I'm mean, I make him a batch of cookies for himself and our son on those nights I get my one cookie.)
That was way too long ,sorry. I know you are waiting for the entrance of the handsome man and his date. Well here they come...both come through the door, directly to my right, I turn and mildly smile...at them both. The woman, I do not know if it was his date, his wife or what. She is petite and blond, in her 50's, attractive. She looks me up and down, and tries to decide if I am any competition. Every woman knows that look, almost all women have given that look. I smile vaguely inside, as I am zippo competition , the way I am dressed. I glance away, and turn back to the squabbling cooks and waitresses. I hear another waitress seat them in a room out of my sight.


Then  out of the blue, the man reappears in front of me again, really to the side of me, and let me describe him to you. This guy is big, broad shoulders , probably 6'3 or so. Dark hair, almost black, he has a black turtleneck on and expensive slacks...he is very well groomed , belt perfect, shoes shined. He appears well-off financially. I would say he was in his 50's...and so full of himself he almost busted down the walls of the small restaurant with his bravado.
 No, he did not look like Paul Newman, just had to throw this picture in.

   The  handsome  man walks up, gets the waitresses attention, points to the giant chocolate-chip- pecan-oatmeal cookies...waves his arm at them and says,
" They're ALL sold. ", with a smile.
The waitress looks at him, looks at the bakery case, sees about 10 or 15 GIANT cookies in there, and says, " All of them ? You want all of them ?"
He puffs up, loudly proclaims, " Every single one. " Smiles to himself, and walks back to his date. 
I am sure he thought he impressed both of us standing there, she looks at me, I look at her...and I say, " He better be glad I already got mine in my to-go bag...because I would have taken him down ,( American slang for fought him ) for one of those if I just walked in and he said that. "
She looked at me and laughed , and I gathered my two dinners and one lone cookie...walked out ...I did not glance at the man in the black turtleneck sweater that I passed. 
He thought we all thought he was cool, or funny or something. I'll tell you what I did think. I thought this man was greedy , greed personified. He took all  those homemade , giant , luscious cookies for himself...and the other patrons that come in later that evening won't have a chance to get one.
I was thinking how our society has people like this, arrogant and greedy. People unconcerned  about only taking their fair share of whatever. 
Of course I'm greedy with my one cookie, he is with his fifteen.
Is there a sliding scale for greed ? Me on one end, him on the other end...wayyy on the other  end. Or maybe we are closer than I think.




Enjoy your day , go eat a cookie somewhere,
Gina

13 comments:

  1. interesting story, thought provoking - greed can creep in in all sorts of ways we don't normally think about, can't it? something to examine our lives for. beautiful picture of paul newman. thanks gina.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, Gina! This is priceless - you are so, so funny...in a happy, ha-ha way! You also have a very good way with telling a story - keeping us all on tenterhooks right up until the punchline! As soon as I spotted gorgeous Paul Newman, I thought, "NO! It couldn't have been him, surely?" but obviously it was clear already that it wasn't. I did wonder what attraction this mystery man had held & then, out it all comes...none whatsoever! Just a man full of his own self-importance, probably out to impress his girlfriend, which is OK I guess :), but you were there, so were able to read a lot more into the situation.

    I hope you still enjoyed your cookie as much, afterwards? It sounds simply delicious & I'm salivating for one of my own, right now. The plateful you'd made in readiness for your husband and son looked delicious, too!

    A favourite expression of my Mum's while I was growing up was, "It takes all sorts to make up a world" :)

    Hugs,

    Des xo

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gina, what a great story (and so well told!). You weren't greedy - after all those cookies were there for customers to buy as you did - one or two at a time. But the man - he was throwing his weight around - for him it was about power not cookies.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Don't you wonder what he was going to do with those cookies? Maybe take them to the staff at the retirement home in which his mother was a resident!

    (Black turtlenecks just happen to be my favorite piece of apparel that my husband wears! And if it weren't so late, I'd get out to my kitchen and make a batch of cookies!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I kept hoping you were going to say that you got home, opened your bag, and found fifteen cookies in there! :) That would have been quite a twist!

    -- for me it's not that he bought all of them, really, because perhaps he thought he really was helping out the restaurateur.. it was the WAY he bought them. "They're all sold" yuck.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dear Gina ~ What a great thought provoking story. Greed can attack any of us at any time. I would say that we are most definitely closer that we think. It says in the Bible, For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

    So, whether we do something a little or a lot, it's all the same. We are guilty. If we put ourselves above others because we don't do the same sins that they do, we are wrong. If we do one little sin, we are guilty of all sins.


    The great news is that Jesus died for our sins, He paid the price. He gave every drop of His blood, and He arose again so that we'd be FREE.

    It doesn't mean though, that we can go out and do whatever we feel like doing when we know it is wrong.

    May we live our lives pleasing to him. May we trust Him to tenderly care for us in all ways. May we admit when we are wrong and thank Him for forgiveness and His gift of salvation.

    Love and hugs ~ FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Gina,
    I totally agree with you, this type of cookie deserves the honour of being savoured and enjoyed, not just dunked in a mug of tea and downed in one or two bites. Keep the cheaper packets from the local store for hubby. As for the guy in the black turtleneck,...what an arse! Glad you got yours first.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love to hear you tell a story. Much to ponder here. Hmmmmmmm.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Loved the way you told this story.
    About the man in the black turtle neck, I agree with a commenter above, it was about power not about cookies.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wonderful tale of greed, power (his) and humility (yours). I wonder if the black turtleneck man ever thinks deeper than the superficial.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I loved your black turtleneck story and especially the way you wrote it. I just finished reading your blog back to July 10, 2010. I was struck by the scripture that you closed that day's blog with.
    " In You, O LORD, I put my trust;
    Let me never be ashamed;
    Deliver me in Your righteousness.
    Bow down Your ear to me,
    Deliver me speedily;
    Be my rock of refuge,
    A fortress of defense to save me.

    For You are my rock and my fortress;
    Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
    Lead me and guide me.
    Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
    For You are my strength. " Psalm 31:1-4
    It's as true today as it was then, but we humans are locked into time, no escape. We must move forward in that very narrow tunnel of time, unable to know the peace and freedom from pain that eternity will bring. The Lord knows that. He knows your struggles and will never, never, never leave you or reject you. He waits for you to heal, to be healed. I liked His answer to your question "Why didn't you send one angel to snatch her away?" "I did." I've heard that answer, too. Time is a terror, not possible that it can heal. But really it doesn't heal, but the love of God must heal. Or we are lost. Peace will come somehow. One day even mourning still, you will be able to rest in Him. It's His promise, and He doesn't lie. One day...in the meantime keep Sarah in your heart, remember her joy, speak of her, cherish her, live with her still. The same way you were able to enjoy Jesus without touching Him and seeing Him you can enjoy Sarah. With practice it will a perfect joy. God bless you and your family, Gina.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Gina!

    I've missed you of late and just want to let you know I think of you often (YOU were my very first follower when I started blogging 2+ months ago and I'd started following your blog a couple of months before that, while I was 'exploring' this world). You'd touched your readers in such a deep way, that even though we don't personally KNOW you, we feel connected - so I hope you don't mind my dropping by to say how much you are missed and to send you a truck load of cyberhugs!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Are you OK, Gina? I'm thankful January is over. It's been a dull & dreary month up here. Tonight we in NE Indiana are getting the beginning of what is to be a MOST major snow storm! At least when I wake up it will be February!

    I hope to see some sights through YOUR eyes soon. Maybe another antique mall tour????

    ReplyDelete

I love comments , please leave one if you like. I try to respond to comments,but if I'm running behind, please know that I read each one before they are published. Thanks much, Gina