Iona Winter

It’s been some time since I wrote more than a few lines. Life has been, in a word, hectic.

This week, back in my hometown (for more than five minutes), I went to top up my depleted supplies. Living rurally means one needs to be prepared for all eventualities, in particular food…when one has neglected the garden.

On my trip to the supermarket, I closely observed the people around me. I think I was trying to engage with my environment again AND a couple of stand out connections took place.

About halfway through, a woman headed toward me with her basket held out like a sabre. I literally felt her coming, in a wave of hostile energy. There was no option but to hug the shelf of tinned fish.

My trolley crashed into a bottle (thankfully plastic) that protruded the shelf and an avalanche followed.

‘Arse,’ I said. I couldn’t stop the word escaping the confines of my mouth. I watched the woman’s back moving at a fast clip down the aisle. ‘How rude’, I muttered.

I stepped over to the pile of dislodged bottles (I’m a tidy woman and always clean up) and a young man bent down to help me. We had a chuckle about aggressive shoppers, and the need for close observation of the road rules (stick to the left, STICK TO THE LEFT for heavens sake!).

When we were done he looked me in the eye, realised I was old enough to be his mother and asked me if I knew where the crushed garlic lived. I smiled and pointed him in the direction of Aisle 10.

With the smile still on my chops, I rounded the corner and just missed colliding with yet another person. This time they looked me straight in the eyes.

Time stood still.

I knew him.

But had never met him in my life before.

Ever had that happen? Recognising someone you’ve actually NEVER met before. Spooky, is all I can say about that.

I have no idea who he was, and he passed by with a smile. I doubt I’ll ever bump into him again. BUT it has got me thinking about connections—those we know, the one’s we have an inkling about and then some that we are completely unprepared for.

It’s time for me to reconnect with ‘The Novel’. She who has been on a steady diet of neglect for the past six weeks. Now that’s a relationship I do know something about. Never mind strangers in the supermarket.