romanticizing chit-chat

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Wouldn't you agree that one tends to patronize certain local shops based on the happy interactions that take place per visit?  I had two very nice conversations with a barista and a supermarket check-out lady today. I occasionally have the suspicion that maybe I have an invisible message on my forehead that says "stress relief." 

I've developed a sort of mutual understanding with a barista last year that began as small talk about the weather, nail polish, our daughters, etc. She looked particularly relieved when she saw me this morning and began to rant about how badly she wanted to cry earlier today because of motherhood stress. I assured her that she wasn't alone and that I find myself in the same predicament very frequently.  To make light of things I brought up the idea of shower time and we both agreed that it was the universally acceptable, guilt-free "mom time." It's not a mystery why most Mother's Day gift sets involve bath products--and shiny jewelry.

In the afternoon, the lady at the supermarket check-out where I procured all the ingredients for this salmon dish that my sister-in-law recommended asked for my rewards card and commented on my name. I didn't quite hear whether she stated that her daughter or niece was also named Anna, but that she liked it--and that the woman serving Counter 1 was named Anna too.  Then she suddenly brought up that I somewhat reminded her of Anne of Green Gables, because she had just seen the old movie. I've never seen it; I just know that there's a new Netflix series with a similar title and judging by the ads and trailers I've seen I'm positive I look nothing like the character. And then the check-out lady mentioned that the film she saw made her cry a little and that it was relatable.

There you have it. Two mundane conversations. Light topics and both involved the topic of crying. 

There is grandeur in the ordinary. Look at James Joyce's Ulysses: a mega thick novel about one ordinary day in Dublin. I still haven't finished reading it. Hah.