Flirting

I will soon refrain from flirting entirely.  I don’t engage in a lot of flirting these days, but I still have a moment now and then. 

My flirting is an activity related entirely to shopping for groceries and was originally prompted by the loss of my wife to cancer.

After my wife’s passing, I found myself shopping for groceries alone.  Shopping for only me implanted a deep feeling of isolation within me.  I found myself wiping away tears on my first two solo shopping trips.  My next few shopping trips improved only slightly. 

Somewhere after my first half-dozen shopping excursions, I decided to change my attitude.  Just for the sport of it, I began taking every opportunity to tease other shoppers or flirt with women while I was shopping.

As far as the flirting went, age was not a thing.  I engaged in conversation with women from the age of 18 to 88.

“I saw that!” I would say if I saw a woman drop something, or tear two bananas from a bunch, or sneak a grape for a taste-test.   I didn’t refrain from asking for advice when purchasing items that strayed from known quantities. 

My interactions and flirting led me to tolerate and sometimes enjoy shopping.

Now, almost eleven years later, I still tease other shoppers and occasionally (harmlessly) flirt with the occasional woman, but I will have no need for that soon.  If my calculus is correct, Desiree will be here within a couple months.

No more shopping for one of this or one of that.

—Mitchell Hegman