Friday, June 14, 2013

Patent Pending

The other day, I went to the Giant Food supermarket around the corner.  It's my favorite grocery store, not only because of the good prices and the high quality of the chow they sell, but also because of the exceptional customer service they offer.  They will filet a salmon and steam some shrimp and grind some beef and special-order a grocery item and decorate a cake just special for the birthday guy or gal.  And they'll do these things with a smile, and offer to carry the whole order out to your car if you want.

I recently had knee replacement/revision surgery, and while I have nothing to complain about in terms of health, compared to others who are dealing with real serious issues, I cannot walk so well just yet.  'Sway it goes!  So, since there was a cart right by where I parked that I could use as a rolling walker sort of thing, I went in without my trusty cane.  I only needed some chicken and some corn.  I went in, got what I needed, but by the time I got to the register area, I was draggin' my wagon, if you will.  Limpin' like a madman, walkin' like a bad man.

It must have been a sight.  Because there were a couple of registers open, with lines mobbing around, and a young lady whose job it is to keep an eye on the lines and also assist people using the self-checkout machines spotted me and so very kindly called me over and opened a register so I could pay and go.  I told her how much I appreciated her kindness.  She could just as easily have looked the other way, or right through me like they do at WalMart.

Smile, Clarence!  It's gonna be all right!
And then today, I read that the US Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, said that human genes cannot be patented.  I think that this young lady's kindness gene should be patented and shared worldwide, although I see an uphill battle if I call Clarence Thomas to discuss the matter.



No comments: