Right Aid

   It happened again, the second time in a week.  I was in the Rite-Aid store and another person spoke to me, using my "old name."  I don't hear my name that much any more, so it gets my attention.  But each time I failed at first to recognize the speaker.  I'm not one of those people who usually addresses people by their names in conversation, so I went with the flow, scrambling in my mind to garner a clue as to who the person was.  I never did confirm the identity of the first person, but yesterday, after a few minutes, I realized I was talking to a former classmate,  a man I hadn't even seen in too many years to count.  He seemed glad to see me, and we were in easy conversation for about 10 minutes or so, and not about old times either.  I learned that he's now retired and that he carries a load of birdshot throughout his body from a hunting accident in his youth.  He showed me the lump in his wrist; the bullets will prevent his ever having an MRI, though CT scans are possible.  He said that not all the containers outside the store are for the construction debris.  Some are storage containers holding merchandise that will be put back on the shelves when the renovation  is complete. 
     Since everything is now so much more open, and the customers more visible to each other, I should probably visit the store more often: it's nice to talk to people.  The store looks good, nice floors.  But I must say---I despise the Wellness Program.  The cashiers always point out my eligibility with enthusiasm, evidently as part of their job, but to this date I've never been able to access anything of value through it.  Maybe in the future......