To the boy in 'Lush' . . .

Well, at least I thought you were a boy when I first entered the store because you were tall, lanky, flat chested. But you wore a cute little black skirt and leggings.Your hair was in a neat ponytail but you also had an undercut. You wore sparkly stud earrings and your nails were more manicured than mine and pearly pink. I'm sorry. I did feel a little wrong-footed because I guess I wasn't sure. Maybe you're not really sure either.

I was poking around the bath bombs and bubble bars when you came over and asked if I needed help. I said yes please, I need something for my friend's birthday. She just had a baby. She doesn't sleep much. Do you have something really relaxing but, you know, not too relaxing - she kind of needs to stay awake?!

You helped me select the Avobath Bomb and the Karma Bubble Bar and I followed you and your fabulous leggings to the till. You wrapped up my products and rang up the sale. I admired your pretty pink nails and you chatted while you worked. I said how great the karma bar smelt and you told me you had the perfume. You told me about your boyfriend. He's an athlete who comes home sweaty and gets straight into bed without showering. I concurred with your ewww! You said I have to wash the sheets every day and I go through bottles of that karma spray.

I'm sorry that it bothered me a little that I couldn't be sure if you were a gay boy telling me about your macho partner or if we were two girls commiserating about men's bad habits. I'm sorry if you felt awkward, not knowing what I was thinking, whether I could see who or what you were. But you know what? You were pretty. You were sweet. You gave me great service. You brightened my day. Did it matter very much that I wasn't certain about that one thing? There's a million other things we didn't know about each other.

Occasionally I go to church or read things online and hear that people like you are destroying 'the institution of' marriage and families. I don't know about that stuff. All I know is that you helped me to buy the perfect, relaxing bath products for my tired mummy friend. I think because she felt fresh and delicious after using them her husband benefitted a LOT! I think because she felt relaxed and human again she was a better, kinder, more patient mummy to her baby. Not sure about the rest of 'society' but you sure helped one marriage and one family today.

So thank you. And I'm sorry. I enjoyed talking with you. Lush is my new favourite store and I'm coming back for that perfume.

Comments

[Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect]

This is lovely. A valuable reminder that people...are just people. First and foremost, we are all people, and it would do us all good to remember that before judging the rest.

[Adele Chapman]

Thank you, Mary. That's the absolute truth.