Monday, August 06, 2012

LOVE THINGS & HAPPINESS - That's Where You'll Find Me

"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness.  You have to catch it yourself." 
- Benjamin Franklin

Yo, wild things of love!  The Broad stepped out into the hood tonight.  What a love fest!  I made a quick run to the local super market around 9 p.m., and instead of making groceries, I found myself entered into the most beautiful of love dances.  Let's enhance your reading experience by listening to Banda El Recodo's Tómame O Déjame, one of the tunes that contributed to my conversion!. 

Retrieving a shopping cart, I was immediately distracted by the thirty or so men hanging out around the carts, chatting with one another, and I suppose, benifitting from the air conditioning whooshing their way when the automatic doors opened for someone like me.  This was a novel event.  How many times have you seen a congress of men surrounded by food who weren't eating? 

Once armed with my cart and grocery list, the cart and I squeezed through these little gates, similar to the round-a-bouts you might find at a theme park ride.  I am perpetually waiting for those little doors to swing into my bottom, but no such luck!  What Lady Luck does offer is an infinitie amount of time to walk behind a couple with their toddler son.  In between the thought of, "Move your asses people" and "hey, I'm the only one disguised as a lightening bolt", I slowly comprehend that I am in a sea of couples with children, grandfathers with baby girl grandchildren, aunties with nieces and nephews, sisters with little sisters, and dads with one hand on their wife and the other on their son.  And this is just the love in the dairy section!

Back in Texas, I was always quick to hit the grocery store before my neighbors got off from work.  All those people, and all their children running about just made my skin crawl.  Holy Holidays, of any kind, left me speechless for hours.  Yes, you guessed right, I was once traumatized by a child who, apparently had no parents to control, oooppps, I meant, parents to happily shame in front of the entire WORLD, swing a huge stack of plastic groceries bags into my face, nearly causing permanent blindness.  

To get back to the point, I have never liked being surrounded by crowds of people, and as such, I created elaborate schemes for avoiding them, this making groceries trip however, commanded me to change my ways.  Tonight, Papa Lopez, who has his arm draped around Mama Lopez, who is holding hands with Tiny Lopez, who is holding the edge of his Abuela Lopez's dress hem, who looks down at Tiny, who in turn, smiles up to Mama Lopez, who finally, turns her gaze to me, fills the entire store with love rays!   Nobody, and I really mean NO BODY, is aware that there is, a need-for-speed Anglo Texan via New Orleans VooDoo Queen, requiring a break out of jail card.   With that smile from Mama Lopez, the "I" in "ME" is vanquished!  All 300 members of the Lopez family, equally oblivious to my grocery list, offer smiles, and in that one act, we are all made from the same genetic fabric.   WE ARE FAMILY! 

Create the Life you Want
-The Broad

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4 comments:

Merilee Dodson said...

When we open our hearts, the world view changes-I love that previously there might have been a "darned Crowd" but instead there was a love fest!

The Broad said...

Open hearts and open minds! Mexico is a love fest and I want to be part of that party!

studiocorral said...

Love it!
~D

The Broad said...

D- I know you remember!